IMPACTS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION ON THE SUSTAINABILITY OF SEAFOOD VALUE CHAIN AND HUMAN HEALTH

The study evaluated the impacts of plastic pollution on the sustainability of seafood value chain. The world aquaculture production in 2016 stood at 80.0 million tons of food fish, gradually declined by 0.3 million tons to 79.7 million tons in 2017, and rose to 81.4 million tons in 2018. Global aquaculture production maintained relatively steady increase from 2011 to 2018. Plastic pollution can afflict oceans, land, and waterways. It is estimated that about 1.1 to 8.8 million metric tons of plastic waste enters the world ocean from coastal communities every year. Living organisms, mostly marine animals, can be injured either by the mechanical effects, such as the entanglement in plastic objects and problems related to the ingestion of plastic wastes, or via exposure to chemicals in plastics that interfere with their body physiology. Also, humans are affected by plastic pollution, by disruption of various hormonal mechanisms, etc. The mainstream plastic wastes accumulations in the environment have adversely affected both terrestrial and aquatic wildlife and wildlife habitat (habitation); with humans utterly affected by the growing rate of plastic pollution. More than 5 trillion pieces and fragments of plastic wastes are distributed in the world oceans worldwide. If the plastic pollution problem is not solved, by 2050, there possibly will be more plastic wastes in the world oceans, rivers, lakes, etc. than fishes and other aquatic organisms; this puts the sustainability of seafood value chain in threat. There are three main pathways by which plastic debris always affect wildlife; entanglement, ingestion, interaction. Entanglement in plastic debris is responsible for the deaths (both reported and unreported) of many aquatic organisms, such as fish, seals, and turtles, as well as birds. These marine animals get caught up in the plastic debris and end up suffocating/drowning. Greenpeace International (2018) stated that in a 2006 report called Plastic Debris in the World's Oceans, it was estimated that over 267 different species of animals have suffered entanglement and plastic debris ingestion. It was estimated that at least 400,000 aquatic mammals perish annually as a result of plastic pollution in oceans. Interaction includes the contact with plastic debris (with exclusion of entanglement) including abrasions, use as substrate, collisions, and obstructions. Many marine animals, especially Whales and Sea turtles, are affected by the pollution caused by plastics through ingestion. Large quantities of plastic wastes have been found in stomachs of beached whales. A pilot whale was found almost dead in June 2018, and later died, in a water canal at Southern Thailand close to the border with Malaysia after it swallowed more than 80 pieces of plastic bags which weighed up to 3Ib. Some species of sea turtle are jelly fish consumers, but regularly mistake plastic bags for their natural prey, jelly fish. This plastic debris may kill the sea turtle by the obstruction of its oesophagus. Deep sea animal species have been found with quantities of plastics in their stomachs. Microplastics ingestions have been indicated to occur for various organisms.