The beaches of Seychelles, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean, are being overwhelmed by plastic waste and discarded fishing equipment, according to a recent study. Researchers traced the source of this pollution and urged greater responsibility from those involved. The study found that most of the fishing gear found on Seychelles' shores comes from ships operating in the area, rather than drifting from distant coasts as previously thought. The Aldabra atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Seychelles, has accumulated more than 500 tons of plastic waste, and removing it would cost about 4.68 million US dollars and require 18,000 hours of labor. Small island nations, like Seychelles, are especially at risk from beach pollution because it can harm tourism and fishing—two key parts of their economies. Cleaning up this waste is often too costly for these countries, and marine life can suffer from entanglement or swallowing plastic. The researchers used satellite data to track the movements of fishing and merchant ships in the region from 2018 to 2022. They also simulated the movement of billions of virtual plastic pieces to see where they ended up. The study found that most of the fishing gear washing up on Seychelles’ beaches comes from vessels operating in the country's exclusive economic zone, an area that extends 200 nautical miles from the coast and is rich in tuna. Seychelles depends heavily on industrial fishing, which is a major source of jobs and foreign income. European fishing vessels also play a significant role in the region, operating under a long-term agreement with the European Union. A report to the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission found that 76% of the fish aggregation devices used by tuna boats in Seychelles’ waters were owned by Spanish shipowners. The agreement between Seychelles and the European Union was recently extended for the period 2026–2030, allowing 38 European ships to fish in Seychelles waters. The Seychelles government had requested a 30% increase in the annual payment from the European Union but accepted a 7% increase instead. International shipping is another major source of plastic waste on Seychelles’ shores, with more than 90% of the waste coming from just five routes across the western Indian Ocean. The ports on these routes match the labels found on plastic bottles collected from Aldabra’s beaches. To tackle this issue, stricter enforcement of international rules that ban dumping waste at sea is needed, along with stronger cooperation between Seychelles and the many countries whose ships use these routes. Simple steps, like ensuring ships have enough drinking water to reduce the need for plastic bottles, could also help cut down on the amount of waste generated.