ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on marine debris and examines its sources, identifies impacts on ecosystems and economies, and possible options and solutions that become marine litter and proposes a framework for responding to marine debris issues in general. The evidence presented on global occurrence in the marine environment, including accumulation, persistence and transboundary sources, movements and impacts on marine biodiversity and ecosystems compounded by emerging data on potential impacts and fate makes a strong case for considering marine debris as a global environmental problem. Marine debris is any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment. Marine debris commonly stems from shoreline and recreational activities, ocean/waterway activities, smoking related activities, and dumping at sea. The geographical distribution of marine debris is strongly influenced by hydrodynamics, geomorphology and human factors. Commercial fishermen generate marine debris when they fail to retrieve fishing gear or when they discard fishing gear or other rubbish overboard.
