In search of plastic, instead of fish, eight fishing boats on Saturday set sail from Panama’s Pacific coast. Cash prizes would be awarded to the three collecting the biggest hauls. To raise awareness about the impact of marine pollution, the Panama Plastic Fishing Championship brought together local fishermen to travel through the Panama Bay.
“On the banks of the rivers and the sea, there is too much garbage,” which often makes it difficult for fishermen to use nets to fish, as they need to spend “more time for this task,” said Adonis Jaen, one of the competitors.
Studies indicate that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish if no actions are taken, said Flor de Maria Torrijos, administrator of Panama’s aquatic resources authority, noting that between 60 and 80 percent of plastic from human consumption on land ends up in the ocean.