Vast amounts of plastic and fishing gear are washing up on the shores of Seychelles, a small island nation in the Indian Ocean. This pollution is damaging delicate marine ecosystems and creating serious economic challenges for the country. Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Seychelles’ most ecologically significant areas, is estimated to have more than 500 tonnes of plastic debris on its beaches. Removing this waste would require approximately 18,000 hours of labor and cost around $4.68 million, highlighting the scale of the problem. Small island nations like Seychelles are especially vulnerable to plastic pollution because their economies often rely heavily on tourism and fishing. Plastic debris can harm marine life, which in turn affects the livelihoods of local communities. The costs of cleaning up this pollution are high, and the environmental damage can be long-lasting. Marine animals can be injured or killed by entanglement or ingestion of plastic, further disrupting local ecosystems. A recent study aimed to understand the sources of this pollution by using satellite tracking data from fishing and shipping vessels over five years. The findings suggest that most of the plastic and fishing gear found on Seychelles’ shores comes from vessels operating in or near the country’s waters, rather than drifting in from distant regions. This challenges earlier assumptions that island nations mainly receive plastic from other countries. The study tracked the movement of billions of simulated pollution fragments to determine where debris ends up after being discarded. Fishing activity in Seychelles’ waters is extensive, particularly in the exclusive economic zone where tuna is abundant. This area is vital to the country’s economy, both in terms of employment and foreign exchange. A significant portion of the fishing gear found on Seychelles’ beaches comes from European Union (EU) vessels, particularly Spanish-owned ones. These vessels are allowed to fish in Seychelles’ waters under a fishing agreement renewed for 2026–2030, which provides the country with €5.75 million annually. While the government had sought a larger share of this payment, the final agreement increased the amount by only 7%. International shipping also contributes significantly to the plastic pollution on Seychelles’ shores. More than 90% of the plastic debris from ships comes from five major shipping lanes in the western Indian Ocean. These routes connect ports that match the labels on plastic bottles found on Aldabra Atoll. Addressing this issue would require stronger enforcement of international regulations against dumping waste at sea and greater cooperation between Seychelles and the countries involved in these shipping routes. Simple measures, like ensuring ships carry enough clean drinking water to reduce reliance on single-use plastic bottles, could help reduce the amount of debris washing up on Seychelles’ shores.