Microplastic Pollution in Marine and Freshwater Fisheries: Ecological Impacts, Trophic Dynamics, and Implications for Fisheries Management

ABSTRACT

Microplastic (MP) pollution—plastic particles smaller than 5 mm—is now ubiquitous across marine, estuarine, and freshwater environments and poses a pervasive threat to global fisheries. This review synthesises current evidence on MP occurrence, trophic transfer, and sub‐lethal physiological effects in fisheries‐relevant species and their consequences for fisheries productivity and food safety, with particular attention to Indonesia and other tropical, developing‐country contexts underrepresented in the global literature. Microplastics have been detected in over 926 seafood species, with Asian waters among the most contaminated regions, and are documented to cause oxidative stress, growth impairment, reproductive dysfunction, immunosuppression, and neurotoxicity in fish, with trophic magnification factors exceeding 4 reported in oceanic food webs. These effects carry direct implications for fisheries management, including declining population health, reduced recruitment, and threats to food safety, yet regulatory frameworks remain inadequate, with no binding MP limits established by major food safety bodies. We outline management‐oriented recommendations—monitoring protocols, gear modification, and integration of MP risk into stock assessment—and priority directions for future research.