According to data collected by BBC, ocean pollution can be traced back to the mid-1960s, when a CPR (Continuous Plankton Recorders) was being towed off the coast of Ireland, and a piece of stray plastic became ensnared on it. Ever since then, there has been a steady, consistently rising, increase in sea pollution over the years.
Regardless of the reasons concerning who, what, and where, the ultimate result was the monumental number of toxic materials, plastic, garbage, and industrial waste being dumped straight into the ocean without regard to the millions of sea creatures that existed beneath the surface.
In 2021 alone, data collected states that there are now 5.25 trillion macro and micro pieces of plastic in the oceans, and this number is expected to double by 2030. It is estimated that around 8 million pieces of plastic make their way into the oceans every single day. Not to mention the illegal dumping of toxic industrial waste that companies have been carrying out for the better part of the century.
And when it comes to the largest trading port of Pakistan, that connects landlocked countries like China to the sea, KPT (Karachi Port Trust) has been deemed the world’s most polluted port by the Pakistan Game Fish Association, despite their claims that they are taking full precautions against contaminating the waters. Not to mention Karachi is the industrial hub and consists of no regulation or equipment that prevents pollution of the Arabian Sea.
Different Ways Karachi is Contributing to Sea Pollution
The growing pollution levels of the Karachi coastline is generally contributed to the rapid increase in the shipping industry due to trade over the past few decades. Another aspect that contributes considerably to the growing pollution is the fact that Karachi is where almost all the primary export industries are situated. There are six industrial zones in the city, each consisting of approximately 1,000 different industrial units, which are responsible for manufacturing everything from textile to chemicals and paints.
Authorities have openly admitted that these industries are very much responsible for the dumping of toxic effluents and solid waste, untreated, into the sea. In 2016 alone, it was estimated that Karachi produces about 500 million gallons of wastewater every day, out of which, one-fifth belonged to the industrial sector, while the rest consisted of municipal or domestic waste. The Sindh Minister of Environment at the time, Sikandar Mandhro admitted to the open contamination of water by saying, “Almost the entire sewerage and industrial wastewater goes into the sea without treatment”. Also, read about the horrifying living of sindh.
However, the factory owners counter the argument by stating the fact that almost all of these industries were built five to six decades ago, therefore there is no space for them to build these treatment plans inside the factories.
Since there are no designated landfills or sits in Karachi almost all the waste including rubbish, garbage and plastic are dumped directly into the sea. Not to mention the Tasman Spirit oil spill in 2003, where a Greek oil tanker carrying 65,500 tons of crude oil ran aground near the Karachi port and killed thousands of birds and sea animals, and the impact of which still lingers to this day.
According to The Tribune, solid waste management vehicles parked on the shore picked up and loaded about ten tons of garbage from the sea in a single day. Not only that but, according to the locals, influential people and companies have started to hire trucks to collect municipal waste and discard it into the sea.
And the tourists contribute significantly as well, as thousands visit the beaches every day and choose to litter and throw trash straight into the sea.
A study conducted on the growing pollution in regards to the Karachi Coastlines stated that a percentage of the pollution can also be attributed to the visiting ships from around the world who are irresponsible and careless with their sewerage disposal and more often than not just dump it in the waters. The authorities have consistently fined these vessels but that has not proven to be an effective tactic to put a stop to the contamination.
Effects of Pollution on the Marine Life
One of the biggest threats to marine life, apart from oil spills and toxic affluence, is perhaps the plastic that is causing severe damage to all sea animals, especially the ones who tend to reside near the surface of the waters. A member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Pakistan, stated that locals have come forward reporting seeing corpses of the endangered green sea turtles and other cetaceans along the Karachi coast, their death a result of plastic in the sea. He continued stating that there are numerous species of fish that have completely vanished from the Arabian waters due to this pollution.
Fishermen, whose lives depend on their catch, have started having tremendous trouble catching fish as they have to sail further away each time they set out for there is fewer and fewer fish to be found near the shores.
In addition to that, a study conducted found that some of the marine life was found contaminated with amounts of lead which, if consumed by humans, can potentially be fatal causing anemia, kidney failure, and brain damage. Agricultural waste like pesticides that mix with the waters and are ingested by the fishes can cause severe damages to the human body as well.
In 2018, it was reported that hundreds of dead fishes washed up on the Clifton Sea View beach shore. The cause was attributed to the industrial waste was seeping directly into the ocean. Even so, there was no action taken by the authorities against these factories for contaminating the waters.
Initiatives Taken by The Government
Amongst all this, there have been several organizations that have been tirelessly working to ensure the safety of marine life. One of them is The Sindh Wildlife Management and the Worldlife Fund for Nature (WWF) who have initiated a project centering around research and protection programs to conserve the turtles, their eggs, and their hatching at their habitats. Similarly, in 1994, the Marine Pollution Control Board (MPBC) was created to supervise and ensure the implementation of pollution control and prevention measures in accordance with the environmental requirements.
Even with all this, it is still not enough until we as humans take responsibility for ourselves and call out others for unethical deeds. Although there have been several laws introduced into the constitution to hold the guilty responsible, it is seldom done so. Until there is strict punishment in place, along with international standard treatment plants in factories, there isn’t much that can be done to save the lives of marine animals.
