TOPSHOT - A fisherman returns to the shore amid trash on the beach in Bangkalan, Madura Island, East Java province on May 13, 2024. (Photo by JUNI KRISWANTO / AFP) (Photo by JUNI KRISWANTO/AFP PHOTO/AFP via Getty Images)
Indonesia has 61,567 miles of coastline and is usually famous for its picturesque beaches and impressive flora and fauna. But recent years have seen large amounts of trash, mostly plastic, showing up on beaches around the country. The source of the garbage is both illegal dumping and ocean currents that wash items in from other areas. This has resulted in ecosystem damage and a decline in the fish catches of local fishermen.
Boats docked at a beach full of trash
A number of fishing boats are docked off of a beach full of rubbish, mostly plastic, in the Kwanyar District, Bangkalan, Madura Island, Indonesia, on May 13, 2024. The rubbish, which comes not only from local residents but also from other areas due to sea currents, reflects a lack of awareness among residents who dispose of waste in rivers and seas. This has led to ecosystem damage and a decline in the fish catches of local fishermen. (Photo by Suryanto Putramudji/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A fisherman walks over trash
(Photo by Suryanto Putramudji/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The trash consists of mostly discarded plastic
(Photo by Suryanto Putramudji/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Trash washes ashore
(Photo by Suryanto Putramudji/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A fisherman walks past trash on the beach
A fisherman walks past trash on the beach in Bangkalan, Madura Island, East Java province on May 13, 2024. (Photo by JUNI KRISWANTO/AFP PHOTO/AFP via Getty Images)
Local fishermen return to a beach full of trash
A fisherman returns to the shore amid trash on the beach in Bangkalan, Madura Island, East Java province on May 13, 2024. (Photo by JUNI KRISWANTO/AFP PHOTO/AFP via Getty Images)
Plastic waste on a beach during monsoon season
A view of a polluted beach which is filled with plastic waste during monsoon season in Kedonganan Beach, Badung, Bali, Indonesia on March 19, 2024. During the rainy season, large amount of plastic trash and debris tend to wash up on shorelines, due to illegal dumping in rivers and coastal areas, thereby worsening marine pollution. Indonesia is one of the world’s largest contributors to marine plastic pollution. (Photo by Johannes Panji Christo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A man looks through plastic trash on the beach
A man looks through the plastic trash on a polluted shore during monsoon season in Kedonganan Beach, Badung, Bali, Indonesia on March 19, 2024. (Photo by Johannes Panji Christo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Monsoon season brings plastic trash to the shores of Bali
(Photo by Johannes Panji Christo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Waves of trash
(Photo by Johannes Panji Christo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Someone tries to collect plastic trash to be recycled
(Photo by Johannes Panji Christo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A bird flies over a beach covered in garbage
A bird flies over a beach that is full of garbage at Muara Angke Port, on the coast of Jakarta, Indonesia on July 11, 2023. According to data from the World Population Review, around 4.8 to 12.7 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. Based on the 2021 report, Indonesia is the fifth country with a contribution of 56,333 tons of marine waste each year. (Photo by Eko Siswono Toyudho/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Trash piles up on a beach
A general view of Labuan Beach, showing pollution from rubbish in Teluk Village, Labuan District, Pandeglang Regency, Banten, Indonesia, on December 29, 2023. (Photo by Angga Budhiyanto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A child pulls refuse across a polluted beach
A child is pulling rubbish across a polluted Labuan Beach in Teluk Village, Labuan District, Pandeglang Regency, Banten, Indonesia, on December 29, 2023. (Photo by Angga Budhiyanto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Plastic bags can be seen in the piles of trash
(Photo by Angga Budhiyanto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A trash collector removes plastic and other debris that have washed ashore
A trash collector removes plastic and other debris washed ashore at Kedonganan Beach, Badung regency, on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on April 12, 2023. (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA/AFP via Getty Images)
Goats search for food amongst the plastic
Goats are looking for food in a pile of rubbish that litters Labuan Beach, Teluk Village, Labuan District, Pandeglang Regency, Banten, Indonesia, on December 29, 2023. (Photo by Angga Budhiyanto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Excellent topic, but please correct the spelling in the title: Indonesia, not Indosenia–unless there’s some word play I’m not getting!
There’s a great future in plastics.