The Tamil Nadu government has revealed a sharp rise in marine waste, especially discarded fishing nets, along its coastline. A recent report titled ‘Marine Litter on Tamil Nadu Coast, India: Status, Impacts, and Management Strategies’ found that fishing debris like lost nets, ropes, and floats make up almost half of the litter on surveyed beaches. Along a 1,040-metre coast covering 52 villages and 13 districts, over 6,100 pieces of debris weighing 201 kg were found. Plastic waste such as wrappers, bottles, and cigarette butts accounted for nearly 40% of the weight. The highest amount of fishing debris appeared in areas with heavy fishing, including Pudukottai and Villupuram. Other factors that affect litter levels include nearby river mouths, seasons, and poor waste management. Fishing nets pose a big danger to marine animals, causing injuries or death by entanglement. Plastics break down into microplastics, entering the food chain and threatening wildlife and humans. To fight this, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) launched the Tamil Nadu Fishnet Initiative Project. The first fishnet collection centre opened in Kasimedu in August 2024 and succeeded in gathering discarded nets. Now, the project is expanding to all 14 coastal districts under the TN-SHORE program, partly funded by the World Bank. Environment and Forests Secretary Supriya Sahu said, "Once fishnet collection centres are set up in all 14 districts as planned, they will be linked to a recycling centre in the same district." She added there are plans to strengthen these recycling facilities to handle the growing waste problem effectively.