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Assessment of plastic waste generated by the aquaculture industry: The case study of pearl farming in French Polynesia

In remote and scattered islands, where space and resources for waste treatment are limited, the mismanagement of plastic waste gives rise to significant global environmental threats. Addressing this issue requires a clear understanding of how plastic waste accumulates over the year, particularly in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of cleaner production 2023-11, Vol.425, p.138902, Article 138902
Main Authors: Crusot, M., Gaertner, J.-C., Rodriguez, T., Lo, C., Gaertner-Mazouni, N.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:In remote and scattered islands, where space and resources for waste treatment are limited, the mismanagement of plastic waste gives rise to significant global environmental threats. Addressing this issue requires a clear understanding of how plastic waste accumulates over the year, particularly in areas heavily reliant on industries such as aquaculture. While the aquaculture sector is often of primary economic and social importance in these regions, it is also a major contributor to pollution due to its extensive use of plastic rearing structures. However, the extent of this contribution is often not accurately quantified. Our study aims to bridge this knowledge gap, focusing on the pearl farming industry in French Polynesia, which plays a vital economic and social role in the country. The surveys conducted among pearl farmers of three major Polynesian pearl farming islands revealed a wide diversity of practices. On this basis, we have developed an original methodology to estimate the potential plastic waste flow from this industry, taking into account these multiple practices. Our study showed that the pearl farming industry in French Polynesia may generate around 1603 tons of plastic waste annually. Moreover, this investigation raised concerns regarding unsustainable practices, revealing that 75% of the plastic waste generated is mismanaged, with half of it (46%) at risk of entering the ocean. In addition to structural waste management problems in these isolated islands, our work suggested that a lack of environmental awareness (expressed by 38% of surveyed pearl farmers) significantly contributes to this situation. These results highlight the urgent need to enhance waste management practices within the pearl farming industry in order to mitigate its environmental impact. Finally, the present work pioneers the quantification of plastic waste flows from a specific aquaculture industry characterized by multiple practices, establishing a foundation for future research in this field. [Display omitted] •New method to estimate plastic waste flow from multi-practice aquaculture.•First quantitative estimate of plastic waste flow from pearl farming.•Polynesian's pearl farming can generate 1603 tons of plastic waste annually.•Around half of this plastic waste is at risk of entering the ocean.•38% of respondents lacked awareness regarding their environmental footprint.
ISSN:0959-6526
1879-1786
DOI:10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138902