Litter on the seafloor along the African coast and in the Bay of Bengal based on trawl bycatches from 2011 to 2020
2022
Buhl-Mortensen, L. | Houssa, R. | Weerakoon, W.R.W.M.A.P. | Kainge, P. | Olsen, M.N. | Faye, S. | Wagne, M.M. | Myo Thwe, S. | Cudjoe Voado, G. | Grøsvik, B.E.
We present the occurrence of seafloor litter on the coast of Africa and in the Bay of Bengal based on records from the EAF-NANSEN Programme in 2011 to 2020. Litter bycatch records from 534 bottom trawls were standardized to km² before analysis. Three percent of the records indicated areas of high littering and the highest densities occurred from 100 to 300 m in depth and 50 to 100 km from the coast. Littering was lower in the Indian Ocean compared to Atlantic Africa. Plastic objects and fishing gear dominated the recorded items (47 % and 22 % respectively) but, regional differences were pronounced. Plastic dominated North Atlantic and East African records (58 % and 80 % respectively) and fishing gear dominated (69 %) in South Atlantic Africa while records from the Bay of Bengal were a mix of categories. The relation between littering and population density, marine industry, major cities, and rivers is discussed.
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