Estimating the Temporal Impacts of Nearshore Fisheries on Coastal Ocean-Sourced Waste Accumulation in South Korea Using Stepwise Regression

Abstract

Fishing activities have been recognized as one of the primary contributors to marine environmental pollution. Studies have been conducted on the impact of fishing activities on the accumulation of marine debris, but most of these studies have been conducted at specific points in time. This study collected marine debris data over four years in the coastal area of Korea. Data on the magnitude of nearshore fishing activities during the same period were collected and analyzed. Regression models were constructed to explore the impact of nearshore fishing activities on coastal waste accumulation over time. This research aimed to understand the influence of nearshore fishing activities on the accumulation of ocean-sourced coastal waste, leading to the development of a time series regression model. The results indicated that time series models have substantially more explanatory power compared to conventional models, emphasizing the importance of temporal considerations in quantifying the relationship between fishing activities and coastal litter over time.