Not only does plastic waste in oceans affect aquatic resources but it also decomposes into microplastics and penetrates into seafood and poses a risk to human health. Facing that concerning fact, relevant agencies in Da Nang are mobilising fishermen to reduce the discharge of plastic waste into the sea and reduce on-shore use so as to limit the volume of plastic waste harming the environment and drifting into the sea.

Fishermen in Thanh Khe Dong Ward, Thanh Khe District collect plastic waste left on the Phu Loc River. Photo: HOANG HIEP

In the process of catching seafood, many types of plastic waste discharged by fishermen into the sea such as plastic water bottles, plastic bags for food, bags for seafood and household items. Especially, many fishing boats also throw away or unintentionally left fishing gear, a type of plastic waste at sea that affects aquatic resources.

Faced with this situation, in March 2021, the Management Board of Tho Quang Fishing Wharf, in collaboration with other related agencies, required fishermen to collect and put onboard garbage into bags or bins, then hand over it to the Management Board upon arrival for weighing and then receive a certificate proving the garbage handover. The certificate is one of the mandatory documents that fishermen must present to the Man Quang Border Guard Station when carrying out procedures for departing from the wharf for fishing trips.

At the end of August and early September, the Thanh Khe District administration coordinated with WWF, in full World Wide Fund for Nature, international organisation committed to conservation of the environment, to conduct a training session to raise awareness of garbage classification among hundreds of fishermen across the district.

Thanh Khe District eyes to reduce 30% of the amount of plastic waste released into the environment in the 2021 - 2025 period. Recently, a group of 25 member fishermen exploiting coastal seafood in charge of collecting plastic was launched.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thu, a resident in Thanh Khe Dong Ward, Thanh Khe District, the owner of fishing vessel DNa 820136 TS said: “In addition to 25 core members, we will mobilize more than 80 other boat owners to join hands for the sake of clean and beautiful environment of the Phu Loc River and at sea, especially preventing the discharge of plastic waste and hard-to-decompose solid waste into the river and oceans.

Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Van Tru said: "Da Nang currently has more than 70 traditional markets with a huge amount of waste generated daily, of which there are only 2 main types of waste: organic waste and other types of garbage and plastic waste. A large amount of plastic waste is discharged into the environment along rivers and drifts into the sea. Marine organisms are contaminated with plastic waste and humans are also contaminated with microplastics. The Department of Industry and Trade has encouraged small businesses to reduce the use of plastic bags when shopping at markets. According to the provisions of Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP of the Government, from 2026, all types of plastic bags with dimensions smaller than 50cm x 50cm will be banned from production and prohibited from usage by 2030. Small-sized businesses and shoppers need to limit the use of plastic bags step by step".

In 2021, the total volume of garbage collected from 5,836 ships docking and disembarking at the Tho Quang fishing wharf was 13.43m³, mainly plastic bottles, plastic bags and food foam boxes.

Reporting by HOANG HIEP  - Translating by A.THU