Gigantic fish sculpture in Goa highlights dangers of single-use plastic

Panaji (Goa): A huge monument of a fish made out of single-use plastic waste that washed ashore is grabbing attention at Miramar Beach near Panaji in Goa. The fish installation, which is 25 feet high and 10 feet wide and weighs half a tonne has been conceived by artist Sanjay Shetye.

"This fish is 'Palu' which is a Goan fish. So we gathered a lot of plastic. which was thrown and which came out of the water and splattered in the beaches which we collected. If you see the fish, you will see all the buckets, bottles and one use plastic that was used to create this fish," Sanjay told PTI. 

The concept is the brainchild of Sanjith Rodrigues, the Managing Director of the Smart City Mission. "It is our aim to create awareness among our residents as well as tourists who come to Goa to refrain from using single use plastic, to maintain the serenity and the natural beauty of our waters and beaches and above all create a safe environmental situation for all of us," Sanjith said. 

Garima Gupta, a tourist reacting to the sculpture, said: "I have come here as tourist and I saw this fish which is very beautiful, but it actually is not beautiful because it was made by one-use-plastic which was retrieved from the seas. If you come to Goa you would want to see clean waters but if such one-use plastics come out of the seas it's not good."

Thousands of pieces of single-use plastic waste have been used to create the gigantic sculpture. Through his art, Shetye wants to spread awareness about the perils of using single-use plastic.