Fishers bear deep costs of plastic pollution in Vietnam, but could help turn the tide

A new study finds small-scale fishers in Vietnam lose an average of $3,421 per vessel annually, a 10-25% income hit, due to plastic pollution fouling nets, damaging gear and slowing catch processing. Researchers interviewed 199 fishers along the Red River and Mekong River deltas and validated findings with onboard audits.

Fishers reported needing 20-25 hauls to turn a profit where 6-7 once sufficed, and described serious injuries from propeller entanglements with plastic debris. Mekong Delta communities, hit by a convergence of two heavily polluted river systems and coastal currents, lost up to twice the income share compared to fishers further north.

Vietnam pledged to cut ocean-bound plastic by 75% by 2030, but currently recycles only 10-15% of its waste. Researchers suggest ‘fishing for litter’ programs paying fishers to haul plastic ashore could turn part of the burden into part of the solution.

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