Marine debris which is defined as any persistent,manufactured or processed solid material discarded,disposed of or abandoned in the marine and coastalenvironment is one of the most pervasive, yetpotentially solvable, pollution affecting the world’soceans, coastal ecosystems and rivers. Whereasimpacts of most anthropogenic activities are usuallyfound near the point source, marine debris has beenfound to impact even distant locations, oftenaffecting uninhabited areas also. According toUnited Nations Joint Group of Experts on theScientific Aspects of Marine EnvironmentalProtection (GESAMP), 60 to 80%, of the global litterfound in the coastal and marine ecosystems hasoriginated from land and only the rest from seabased activities. The slow degradable nature ofmarine litter and the potential to pollute all spheresof oceans irrespective of point source has raisedthe alarm bells
