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Time of India
14-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Fisherfolk raise concern over sea pollution off Veli coast
T'puram: The fishermen who use small boats to catch fish along the shores of the city are concerned about the pollution caused by the effluents released by Travancore Titanium Products Ltd into the sea. Though treated chemical effluents are released far out into the sea using an underwater pipeline, they come back to the coast due to the monsoon-time current, said Robert Panipilla of Friends of Marine Life. Every time it's released, the seawater turns grey around the Veli area. "The polluted water reaches the biologically rich coastal sea due to ocean currents. It visibly contaminates approximately 36 sqkm of the sea. The wastewater affects marine plankton first, which in turn impacts the entire marine food chain," he said, adding that the pollution caused by the factory is as serious as the recent marine pollution from the shipwreck. A study showed that the normal pH level of the sea is 8. "When acid-laden waste is discharged into the sea, it adversely affects the natural ecological balance, reducing the pH level to between 3 and 4. According to the Environment Protection Act, sulphur compounds reduce the oxygen level in the water, threatening the marine ecosystem," he said Trivandrum Marine Fishermen's Union president Thadayus F Aslam said,"The seawater appears murky, and effluent gets stuck to the nets if we try to fish in the area. Pollutants affect marine life during the monsoon when they are swept closer to the coast, coinciding with the fish moving nearer to the shore." Fishermen are able to fish near Thumba and Valiathura but not off Veli coast. Panipilla said that the factory should set up effluent treatment plants.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
NGO urges stronger UN maritime laws at ocean conference
T'puram: Representatives from the city-based ocean conservation NGO, Friends of Marine Life (FML), attended a five-day United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France. They raised concerns about the pollution faced by the Arabian Sea following two shipping disasters near the state's coast. The sinking of MSC Elsa 3 caused immense pollution along the southern coast, while MV Wan Hai, which caught fire off Kozhikode, carried several chemical cargoes onboard. In a presentation, the NGO stated that international maritime laws are inadequate to identify and penalise those responsible, as demonstrated by the situation in Kerala. They urged the UN to establish laws to penalise either the manufacturing company or the transporting company if plastic or chemical waste ends up in the ocean. "This is important because the lives of fisherfolk depend on the ocean's health. Strong regulation would help protect marine habitats, marine life and communities relying on the sea by holding responsible parties accountable. We put this message across at the conference attended by delegates and govt representatives from across the world," said Robert Panipilla of FML, who attended the conference along with research scholar Kumar Sahayaraju. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo It was one of the discussions about the challenges faced by Small Scale Fishing (SSF) related to Blue Economy interventions around the world. The discussion was organised by the British Columbia University, Canada. The NGO also took part in a discussion on the challenges faced by small scale fishing and Blue Economy interventions around the world. FML represents the coastal community, comprising largely of small scale fisherfolk and conducts seabed studies and ocean conservation activities. The fisheries and environmental ministers from Costa Rica, Senegal, Madagascar and Germany attended the discussion. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Shipping disasters off Kerala coast highlighted at UN ocean meet in Nice
The two recent shipping disasters off the Kerala coast and issues related to the resultant environmental pollution were highlighted at the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) by a Thiruvananthapuram-based organisation on Wednesday. UNOC-3 is under way at the French city of Nice. Kumar Sahayaraju of the Thiruvananthapuram-based Friends of Marine Life (FML) presented the issue at the Ocean Base Camp, an open space for civil society organisations. Mr. Sahayaraju said the two accidents, involving large container vessels, had caused severe pollution in the sea and on the Kerala coast. These two incidents, according to him, spotlighted the fact that the current maritime laws were inadequate to deal with the fallout of such disasters. 'Responsibility must lie either with the producers of these hazardous materials or with the shipping companies that transport them. Accountability must be enforced under stronger maritime laws, with clear legal consequences for violations,' Mr. Sahayaraju said. The FML, which is represented at the UNOC by Mr. Sahayaraju and the organisation's founder Robert Panipilla, also demanded that tracking devices for locating hazardous cargo in the event of an accident be made mandatory for all such cargo container shipments. In his presentation, Mr. Sahayaraju urged the United Nations to urgently establish and enforce international regulations governing the maritime transport of chemical and plastic pollutants. The Liberia-flagged MSC Elsa 3 sank off Kochi in May. The Singapore-flagged M.V. Wan Hai 503 caught fire after a massive explosion off Beypore in June. At the UN conference, the FML, which is involved in seabed studies and ocean conservation activities, appealed for urgent international action to protect marine ecosystems and coastal communities whose survival depends on them.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Fishing nets catch more plastic than fish off Thiruvananthapuram coast
T'puram: The fisherfolk who cast their nets off the state capital's coast have started to pull in more plastic than fish in the last few days. The situation became particularly dire after the week-long heavy rain at the end of last month. The plastic waste expelled by lakes and rivers following the downpour is now entering the sea, affecting fish resources, say fisherfolk. "The fisherfolk from Vizhinjam have been getting too much plastic in their nets in the last few days. It's mostly plastic covers, bottles, caps, and other items," said Sadic Ali, a fisherman and a volunteer with the NGO Friends of Marine Life (FML). The fisherfolk on the coast use small boats and two types of nets. One hugs the seabed and is ideal for catching crabs, stingrays, dry Malabar thryssa (manangu), sardines, and others. The other type of net, which is tied with stones and hangs a little above the seabed, is used to catch mackerel, white fish, and a few other species. There are around 50 to 60 fisherfolk who use such nets in Vizhinjam. They are getting only plastic waste recently, hinting that plastic pollution is prevalent on the seabed. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ask A Pro: "I'm 70 with $1.4M in IRAs. Should I convert $120K/Year to a Roth?" SmartAsset Undo The fisherfolk, who have faced a dwindling catch over the years, are worried that an increase in plastic waste on the seabed will harm fish habitat and corals. FML's Ali says that fisherfolk often dump the plastic waste back into the sea — creating a cyclical process. Ali says that the authorities can at least sensitise the fisherfolk on safe disposal of plastic. "The plastic seems to be swirling about because of the unusual movement of current. This is impacting the small fishermen. This shows that the pollution prevention measures should not focus only on land, and scientific institutions should be keener," said Robert Panipilla of FML. A group of scientists recently flagged plastic pollution as the biggest threat to marine ecosystems. According to them, a staggering amount of plastic debris, originating from human activities on the land, is increasingly reaching oceans. Marine scientists warned that this influx of plastics poses an escalating danger to coastal ecosystems and to the livelihood of small-scale fishers. The coast is already affected by millions of plastic pellets washed ashore from the containers of the ship MSC ELSA 3 that sank off the Alappuzha coast.
New Indian Express
09-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Activists at Valiyathura highlight shipwreck impact on Ocean Day
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of World Ocean Day on Sunday, activists gathered at Valiyathura beach to highlight the environmental impact of the MSC ELSA 3 shipwreck. The event featured a ship mascot set against a backdrop of plastic nurdles that have washed ashore since the wreck. The display carried the message 'no time to waste'. Plastic nurdles have been found along the Kerala coast and parts of Tamil Nadu after the shipwreck. The spill has sparked concerns about marine life, coastal ecosystems and fishing livelihoods. This comes just four years after a similar disaster off the Sri Lankan coast involving the X-Press Pearl. Robert Panipilla, ocean conservationist and founder of Friends of Marine Life, said the damage to marine biodiversity and coastal livelihoods must be addressed. He demanded that MSC release the full cargo details. Jackson Pollayil, state president of the Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation, criticised the company for remaining silent even after two weeks of the incident and called for a full clean-up and compensation plan. Amruta S N, a climate campaigner with Greenpeace India, urged MSC to assess the damage, pay compensation and carry out restoration work.
