Worlds First Marine Cemetery opens in Kozhikode, Kerala

A wakeup call to many, the World&rsquos first-ever Marine Cemetery made out of plastic bottles in Kozhikode, Kerala spreads awareness about the harmful effects of single-use plastics, overfishing and pollution in rivers.

Opened on 4 December, the cemetery was built on Beypore beach by Jellyfish Watersports with the help of the district administration, Clean Beach Mission and Beypore Port department. The structure, made of single-use plastic bottles, pays tribute to endangered eight marine species. Species like seahorses, parrotfish, leatherback turtles, eagle rays, sawfish, dugong, zebra shark, hammerhead fish and Kerala&rsquos endemic freshwater fish, Miss Kerala, are a part of this list.

A memorial service was held for these species and the attendees pledged to quit single-use plastic. The District Collector of Kozhikode, S. Sambasiva Rao said, &ldquothe Marine Cemetery is a reminder of the destruction that we are bringing upon our planet in the name of convenience. So, we are supporting and promoting this initiative as part of Clean Beach Mission to spread awareness, as it not only educates locals and the world about the effects of single-use plastic, but it will also help Kozhikode become a sustainable travel destination.&rdquo

Check out the Kerala Lit fest in January 2020