Mallik Abhijit, Chakraborty Puja, Bhushan Shashi, Nayak Binaya Bhusan
Fishery Resource Harvest and Post-Harvest Management, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, India.
Aquaculture Division, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, India.
Mar Policy. 2022 Jul;141:105088. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2022.105088. Epub 2022 May 5.
COVID-19 pandemic is a serious threat for mankind having an extensive socio-economic impact. However, it is considered as an unfortunate event with some positive environmental effects where nature is retrieving itself. The water quality index in different places of the world was reported to be improved during the lockdown, which in turn whipped up the regenerative process of fishes, sea turtles, marine mammals, and aquatic birds. Additionally, ecologically sensitive areas such as mangroves and coral reefs were also seen rejuvenating during COVID-19 seal off. But these favourable implications are temporary as there is an unexpected surge in plastic waste generation in the form of PPE kits, face masks, gloves, and other healthcare equipment. Moreover, the outbreak of the pandemic resulted in the complete closure of fishing activities, decline in fish catch, market disruption, and change in consumer preference. To address these multidimensional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, government organizations, NGOs, and other concerned authorities should extend their support to amplify the positive impacts of the lockdown and reduce the subsequent pollution level while encouraging the fisheries sector.
新冠疫情是对人类的严重威胁，具有广泛的社会经济影响。然而，它被视为一件不幸的事，但也带来了一些积极的环境影响，大自然正在自我恢复。据报道，在封锁期间，世界不同地方的水质指数有所改善，这反过来又加速了鱼类、海龟、海洋哺乳动物和水鸟的再生过程。此外，在新冠疫情封锁期间，红树林和珊瑚礁等生态敏感地区也出现了复苏迹象。但这些有利影响是暂时的，因为以个人防护装备、口罩、手套和其他医疗设备形式产生的塑料垃圾意外激增。此外，疫情的爆发导致捕鱼活动完全停止、渔获量下降、市场混乱以及消费者偏好改变。为应对新冠疫情的这些多方面影响，政府组织、非政府组织和其他相关当局应提供支持，以扩大封锁的积极影响，降低随后的污染水平，同时鼓励渔业部门。
