Chennai Nets Recycled: Fishermen Earn from Ocean Cleanup

Chennai has launched its inaugural discarded fishnet collection center in Kasimedu, a government initiative aimed at combating marine pollution. This center, established in 2024, incentivizes fishermen to sell their old nets at a nominal rate. These collected nets are then transformed into recyclable pellets, which find applications in industries such as automotive manufacturing.

Since the center's operational commencement on August 17, 2024, authorities have successfully gathered more than 40 tonnes of discarded fishing nets. This program offers fishermen approximately 40 per kilogram for the nets they retrieve from the sea. The initiative is lauded for its dual benefit of reducing pollution and engaging the fishing community in coastal protection efforts, although a request for a similar facility in South Chennai is underway.