Collective action needed to protect marine environment, says CMFRI scientist
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CMFRI staff, NCC cadets, students and local fishermen joined the beach-cleaning drive
- ICAR-CMFRI senior scientist Dr. Mahesh stressed collective responsibility for keeping beaches clean.
- Plastic waste, discarded fishing nets and other marine debris threaten marine biodiversity.
Karwar, Sept. 26, 2026: Maintaining cleanliness on beaches is the responsibility of every citizen, and everyone should join hands to protect the marine environment, said Dr. Mahesh, senior scientist at the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
He was speaking at a beach-cleaning drive held at Aligadda Beach in Karwar on Friday as part of the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ campaign. The drive was organised by the Karwar Regional Centre of ICAR-CMFRI in association with Reliance Foundation under the theme ‘Swachhata Mein Sahbhagita; Swachh Bharat, Viksit Bharat’.
“Maintaining cleanliness on beaches is the responsibility of every citizen, and everyone should join hands to protect the marine environment.”
— Dr. Mahesh, Senior Scientist, ICAR-CMFRI
Dr. Mahesh said beaches and marine ecosystems are important habitats for marine life and also support the livelihoods of coastal communities. Plastic waste, discarded fishing nets and other marine debris pose a threat to marine biodiversity. The degradation of coastal ecosystems also affects communities dependent on fishing for their livelihood.
He stressed the need to create awareness among people about proper waste disposal and urged them not to dump waste indiscriminately.
CMFRI Principal Scientist Dr. Kalidas said maintaining cleanliness on beaches would help protect marine life and its habitats by preventing plastic and other pollutants from entering the sea.
Reliance Foundation coordinator Santosh, CMFRI staff, NCC cadets and students of Government Arts and Science College, Karwar, and local fishermen from Aligadda participated in the programme and cleaned the beach.
CMFRI scientists Dr. Raghu Ramudu and Dr. Tanveer Hussain coordinated the campaign.
