Marine litter has been around for a very long time, but its impact on the environment has accelerated during the past 50 years, especially with the mushrooming growth of plastic. Plastic, the dominant marine pollutants negatively affects human health, aesthetics, economy, and marine life. It can be observed that there are more than enough legislations that try to deal with the menace of environment degradation. The massive amount of legislation has led to a situation of confusion and difficulty in enforcement. To deal with the same, there is a need for strong integrated legislation that can provide a much clearer and integrated approach which can provide the necessary protection to environment. Also, the pollution boards have been given the powers to launch prosecution before the court of law to bring the violators to book as far as environmental degradation is concerned.
The idea of giving Quasi-judicial powers to these boards can be considered so they can impose penalties upon those who violate the law and also reduce the burden on the already overburdened courts. Tackling the litter issue involves many stakeholders, including government, as litter pays scant regard to international boundaries. Political will is essential, as final decisions inevitably involve governmental action. Litter management must be included in national policy setting and awareness should be raised in planning, practices, and capacity building.