All at sea

Growing risk of microplastics threatens Indonesia's coastal communities

Editor's note: In this weekly feature China Daily gives voice to Asia and its people. The stories presented come mainly from the Asia News Network (ANN), of which China Daily is among its 20 leading titles.

As a major plastic polluter, Indonesia has topped the global per capita intake of microplastics that are found mostly in seafood, with fishermen and coastal communities being the most affected, according to latest studies.

However, the communities know very little about the potential health risks haunting them and continue to consume fish as part of their daily diet, prompting experts to urge immediate action from the relevant authorities to minimize the impact, including imposing stricter regulations on single-use plastics.