Worldwide, coastal pollution significantly impacts the provision of ecosystem services and the livelihoods they support (Wang et al., 2020 as cited in Urban and Ittekkot, 2022; Nair and Nayak, 2023). Combined with other environmental and anthropogenic stressors such as climate variability and overfishing, pollution has exacerbated ecological degradation and has adversely impacted coastal and marine fisheries, particularly small-scale fisheries (Shahidul Islam and Tanaka, 2004; Issifu et al., 2022; Kiran and Ramaraju, 2022; Wootton et al., 2022). Fisheries, nonetheless, also contribute to the contamination of aquatic environments, with abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) being a significant portion of fishing-related litter (FRL) (Borges et al., in Urban and Ittekkot, 2022).

India, the world’s most populous country, with an estimated 1.45 billion citizens, has over 25% of its inhabitants living in coastal regions, and is rich in water bodies like lakes, coastal lagoons, and wetlands which support livelihoods, nutritional security, and cultural well-being (Ray and Garada, 2018; Wang et al., in Urban and Ittekkot, 2022; Sahoo and Goswami, 2024). The fisheries sector plays an important role within the national economy, providing employment and income for more than 16 million fishers (Rajeev and Bhandarkar, 2022). Fish has been a staple in the Indian diet for centuries; the average annual per capita fish consumption increased by over 80%, from 4.9 kg in 2005 to 8.9 kg in 2021 (Padiyar et al., 2024). Pollution from urbanization, industrialization, and agriculture, however, severely threatens biodiversity in India’s coastal waters (Kiran and Ramaraju, 2022) and a risk to the health and the quality of fisheries (Bashir et al., 2020).

Water quality and water pollution are a central components of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets (UN, 2015). SDG 6, target 3, focuses on reducing pollution and release of hazardous chemical and materials by 2030, while SDG 14, target 1, aims to reduce all forms of marine pollution by 2025. Additionally, water quality intersects with SDG 1, which focuses on eradicating poverty and building resilience (target 1.5), and SDG 2, which calls for an end to hunger and ensure access to healthy food (target 2.1) (Alcamo, 2019). The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to address societal challenges and achieve its targets by integrating scientific and traditional knowledge, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement and community participation in achieving the SDGs (Magni, 2017; Bansal et al., 2024).

While significant advances have been made in understanding the levels, abundance, and sources of coastal water pollution in India (for a comprehensive list of studies on litter pollution along the Indian coast, see Barik et al., 2024), the knowledge and perspectives of coastal fishing communities regarding pollution, its impacts, and their waste management practices and awareness remain underexplored, as recently highlighted by Kneel et al. (2023).

To the best of our knowledge, only two studies examined fishers’ knowledge of water pollution and their waste disposal behaviors in India, specifically focusing on FRL. Daniel and Thomas (2023) conducted a survey of fishers’ perceptions in Kerala to investigate the fate of marine litter caught in fishing gear, the drivers of gear abandonment, and the disposal practices of derelict gear. Similarly, Nelms et al. (2021) used a structured questionnaire to examine the behavioral drivers of ALDFG among fisher households in the Ganges River system.

The present paper aims to address this gap by investigating the perceptions, knowledge, and waste management practices of Indian coastal communities concerning pollution and waste management. Using Chilika Lake as a case study, our work focuses specifically on three objectives: (1) to explore the importance of fisheries for the Chilika Lake communities; (2) to investigate the views and perspectives of fishers and coastal villagers regarding pollution drivers in Chilika Lake; and (3) to understand waste management practices, particularly the disposal of solid waste and end-of-life fishing gear, within these communities.

This study aimed to enhance the understanding of the fisheries sector’s significance, the drivers and impacts of water pollution, and waste management practices by investigating the perspectives and knowledge of coastal communities in developing countries, with a focus on Chilika Lake on India’s east coast. This area has seen limited social science research, particularly concerning the sources of pollution and the responses of local fisheries (Acharyya et al., 2023).

Small-scale fisheries play a pivotal role in the livelihoods, nutritional needs, and socio-cultural well-being of fishers living in and around Chilika Lake (Sahu et al., 2014; Parida, 2018; Ray and Garada, 2018; Sethi and Patra, 2021). As stated by Baral, (2019 p.636) “fishing at Chilika is a part of the everyday life of the community, and fishing is as much an economic necessity as it is a social and cultural reality.” According to the Chilika Development Authority Report (2009, cited in Ray and Garada, 2018), fisheries output accounts for more than 71% of the total economic value of the lagoon. Our findings indicate that in 2022, over 65% of the total household income was derived from fisheries, hence confirming the key role of fishing for the Chilika Lake communities. Predominance of income from fisheries is reflected at district level with Ganjam being the district with highest yearly fisheries earnings in 2022 (INR 46,234), followed by Khurda (INR 43,519) and Puri (INR 33,500). In line with the global pattern in the fishing sector (Guillen et al., 2017), a shared remuneration system is used for the fishers in our sample across the Chilika Lagoon.

Fish harvesting in Chilika is predominantly a male activity. Women typically engage in roles such as fish processing, sorting, drying, packaging, and marketing. This division of labor reflects patterns observed in other villages across Odisha, where similar gender roles in fisheries have been documented (Pradhan and Flaherty, 2008; Khan et al., 2018; Ray and Mukherjee, 2022). Our findings also align with other studies on gender roles in the fisheries sector in India, which have similarly reported that women often engage in post-harvest activities, such as fish preservation and market sales (Busby, 1999; Samuel, 2007).

Fishers and local communities agreed that water pollution is a major threat to fisheries in Chilika Lagoon, posing a risk to their livelihoods due to declining catches. This decline in fish catches has led to out-migration of fishers in Chilika as a livelihood adaptation strategy, seeking alternative and more lucrative employment opportunities (Khan et al., 2018). The main drivers of water pollution identified by the fishers in our sample are pesticides and chemicals used in agriculture that are washed into the Chilika Lagoon. About half of fishers reported also the contribution of shrimp aquaculture to the lake water degradation. Similarly, in the focus group conversations, participants expressed strong concerns about the adverse effects of prawn culture on water quality of the Chilika Lake. As reported by (Dujovny, 2009) “fishers have long claimed that prawn aquaculture undermines the ecosystem.” Other studies documented the adverse impacts of use of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture and aquaculture on the environmental conditions of Chilika Lake and on the local small-scale fisheries sector (Sekhar, 2004; Sahu et al., 2014; Mishra, 2015; Nair and Nayak, 2023). Plastic materials, such as nets, used in aquaculture also contribute to the contamination of the Chilika Lagoon (Ramanamurthy et al., 2018).

Tourism was as well identified as major source of pollution in Chilika Lake. Fishers noted that improper disposal of plastics, food waste, and oil leaks from motorized boats contribute to the contamination of the lagoon waters. This substantiates previous findings in the literature (Ray and Garada, 2018; Sambandam et al., 2022; Singh et al., 2023). Fishers, however, noted that mechanized fishing boats pollute the lagoon waters too. This observation aligns with the results of a household survey conducted by (Ray and Garada, 2018), which found that respondents believed the introduction of mechanized boats resulted in pollution of the Chilika Lake waters.

The results regarding the scale of fishing-related litter occurrence in Chilika indicate that ALDFG are infrequently encountered by fishers in our sample. Fishers acknowledged however that fishing activities also play a role in polluting the Chilika Lagoon, either via dumping of used or damaged fishing nets (see Sahu et al., 2014) or – to a lesser degree- via dumping from their boats of any other type of solid waste. These findings contradict Barik et al. (2024), who observed fishing-related litter such as nets, floats, strings, and ropes at popular tourist beaches in Ganjam in 2021. Likewise, research on the typology of marine litter in Digha coast and Sagar Island (West Bengal) (Mugilarasan et al., 2021), Kachchh coastline (Gujarat) (Behera et al., 2021) and Kerala Coast (Daniel et al., 2020) indicates that FRL⁵ is one of the main sources of beach litter.

Furthermore, recent studies have indicated that the primary polymers in microplastic fragments from Chilika Lake sediments and water samples are polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) (refer to Sambandam et al., 2022; Singh et al., 2023; Kumar et al., 2024). These synthetic fibres are commonly utilized in the manufacturing of fishing nets (Karadurmuş and Bilgili, 2024). Microplastics observed at the sample sites likely originate from deteriorated ropes, fishing gear, and other FRL (Sambandam et al., 2022; Kumar et al., 2024; Dhineka et al., 2025).

On the contrary, the categories of litter most frequently encountered, overall, by fishers include plastic and glass bottles, plastic bags, other plastic items and food wrappers. Plastic litter, including ALDFG, has significantly harmed biodiversity and ecosystem function in Chilika (Das et al., 2020). At district level, a significantly larger majority of fishers in Puri, compared to Ganjam and Khurda, always come across these items. This is consistent with findings from a recent analysis of beach litter abundance at Puri, which revealed that almost 59% of the total litter collected was categorized as plastic waste (Barik et al., 2024).

Other studies (Jayasiri et al., 2013; Daniel et al., 2020; Behera et al., 2021; Mugilarasan et al., 2021) indicate that plastics are the most prevalent component of litter along the Indian coastal areas, largely deposited due to activities such as tourism, fishing (including aquaculture), coastal settlements, and recreational activities.

Puri is a prominent destination for tourism and recreational activities, including large-scale cultural festivals (Singh et al., 2021) which have been identified as major sources of litter along with fishing activities (Paul et al., 2023). However, further research should be undertaken to compare distribution, quantification, characterization, and potential sources of macro litter across the districts of Puri, Khurda, and Ganjam.

Fishers across the study area lack of awareness regarding initiatives or projects in the Chilika Lake area aimed at repurposing or recycling fishing gear when it reaches the end of its usable life. Nonetheless, EOL gear is either repurposed or material from fishing gear is reused by the majority of fishers who took part in our survey. The information gathered from the survey and validated through FDGs indicated that when fishing nets reach their end of life, they are repurposed in various ways by local fishing communities, such as for boundary walls, roof protection, and fencing. Plastics from old nets are recovered to make floor mats for the household or other decorative objects and old plastic ropes are also reused to tie cows. If it is not reused or repurposed, EOL gear is kept by fishers at home. These results echo the findings of Nelms et al. (2021) who reported that fishers along the Ganges commonly repurpose old fishing gear into items such as fencing and ropes.

The issue of solid waste disposal and mismanagement has emerged across all districts surrounding the Chilika Lagoon, were a considerable majority of fishers lack of awareness regarding waste management. This aligns with the findings of a recent study conducted on tourist beaches in Puri and Ganjam, which identified the lack of awareness about pollution prevention and management among beach visitors as a major cause of pollution in these areas (Barik et al., 2024). A significant portion of fishers reported a lack of proper solid waste collection and disposal facilities in their villages, as also noted by Sahu et al. (2014). Open burning and waste dumping are prevalent practices in India, as documented by Kumari et al. (2019), Ferronato and Torretta (2019), and Kibria et al. (2023). Our findings from the survey and group discussions indicate that these practices are also common around the Chilika Lagoon area. Informal recycling was identified as another recurring practice for managing solid waste by the fishing communities on Chilika Lake. The informal waste pickers buy recyclable materials (e.g., newspaper, plastic, glass, etc.) from households and sell, at a higher price, sorted and cleaned material to specialized waste merchants who then sell the materials to recycling plants (Nandy et al., 2015). Informal waste management systems are widespread in in developing economies such as India where many people depend on it for their livelihoods (Chaudhary et al., 2021; Kala and Bolia, 2022).

Pollution is one of the biggest challenges in developing countries like India (Nelliyat, 2016). Fisheries in India have been for centuries a considerable source of income and a vital protein source for rural coastal communities (Mcgregor et al., 2014; Viana et al., 2023). Water quality and marine pollution reduction, important requirement for subsistence, small scale and commercial fisheries (Alcamo, 2019), are part of the 2030 Agenda and explicitly included in the SDGs (Target 6.3 and 14.1). Thus, addressing water pollution is an urgent priority for the effective management and conservation of current fisheries and aquatic resources (Shahidul Islam and Tanaka, 2004).

Addressing pollution in aquatic ecosystems requires holistic, region-specific approaches and participation of coastal communities’ insights and views. By incorporating insights from India’s fisherfolk, we aimed with this work to inform strategies for managing fisheries and conserving natural resources, ultimately protecting coastal livelihoods.

The lack of awareness among fishers and fisherfolk regarding waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, including EOL fishing gear, accentuates the need for targeted education and outreach initiatives to encourage circular economy practices and community involvement in litter management. Local community engagement is key to effective waste management and achieving long-term sustainability targets (Suryawan et al., 2024). Old fishing gear should be collected, managed, and recycled through a buy-back system involving the fishing community (Mishra et al., 2023). Equally, regular coastal clean-ups, guided by standard protocols such as OSPAR (Wenneker and Oosterbaan, 2010) and UNEP (Cheshire et al., 2009) can contribute to community resilience and foster a sense of ownership and empowerment among community members (Purba et al., 2023; Suryawan et al., 2024).

The prevalence in our study area of solid waste mismanagement practices, such as open burning and dumping, calls for improved waste management infrastructures and policies. While informal recycling initiatives play a crucial role in ensuring sustainable waste management in densely populated countries like India (Kala and Bolia, 2022), they should be complemented by formal waste management systems to effectively address solid waste pollution.

It is also recommended to implement programs promoting alternative livelihoods in coastal communities, following the example of the Alternative Livelihoods - Community-Based Ecotourism Enterprise in the village of Mangalajodi (Nair and Nayak, 2023). Such initiatives, with proper stakeholder involvement and community participation, can create job opportunities for local communities and reduce their dependence on fishing, thereby minimizing migration among fishers seeking more lucrative livelihoods (Sethy and Senapati, 2023; Dash and Balamurugan, 2024). Moreover, they create more opportunities for women to contribute to household income generation and, most importantly, participate in sustainable economic activities (Samal and Dash, 2024). These programs not only diversify income sources but also contribute to sustainable development and biodiversity conservation efforts in coastal areas.