‘Ocean to Vision’: Chennai fisherfolk receive spectacles made from discarded nets

Chennai, Nov 10 (PTI) Chennai fisherfolk lined up on Monday to receive spectacle frames made from recycled nylon fishing nets under the 'Ocean to Vision' project, as French Ambassador to India Thierry Mathou highlighted the initiative's French connection.

Mathou recalled how, in March, the French vessel Plastic Odyssey docked at Chennai Harbour, bringing with it a solution for discarded fishing nets and other plastic waste that end up in the ocean.

On Monday, he formally launched the 'Ocean to Vision' project in Kottivakkam Kuppam on the East Coast Road.

"Now, I am impressed to see that the prototype has turned into 10,000 frames for spectacles, benefitting the fishermen community here. This is innovation with purpose, and we are honoured to see France’s partnership in this initiative," Mathou said.

The frame is based on a prototype carried by Plastic Odyssey, an ambassador vessel for the fight against ocean plastic pollution.

The ship set sail from Marseille, France, on October 1, 2022, for a three-year expedition across three continents, visiting countries heavily affected by plastic pollution to discover, test, and share concrete solutions.

At each stop, the ship welcomes local recycling entrepreneurs to develop practical solutions against ocean plastic waste.

Currently, Plastic Odyssey is in Saint Brandon, a southwest Indian Ocean archipelago belonging to Mauritius.

For Vinod Daniel, CEO of the India Vision Institute (IVI), which collaborated with Plastic Odyssey and French shipping company Bourbon Offshore for 'Ocean to Vision', the project addresses a pressing need.

Besides championing the cause of sustainable living, the project also leaves its impact on the economy, he said.

"A simple eye check and vision correction could enable many to earn twice as much," Daniel added.

The project turns ocean-bound plastic into sturdy spectacle frames.

"Used nylon fishing nets are collected, cleaned, shredded, and pelletised. The recycled pellets are then sent to the frame manufacturer, where they are injection-moulded into spectacle frames, followed by finishing and assembly into the final product," Daniel said.

"With the ocean abundant in plastic waste, making a pair of spectacles accessible to everyone is not a distant dream anymore," he said.

"As of now, only a third of Indians have access to spectacles," Daniel claimed.

The initiative has already touched lives. Sixty-five-year-old Kamsa Rani, who makes a living selling fish, said she had long needed a pair of spectacles.

"In 2012, I couldn’t see at all and had to undergo an operation. We could afford to operate on only one eye, and I was given a pair of spectacles then. About eight years ago, it broke, and I could not afford to buy another one," she said.

Fifty-eight-year-old Hari Krishnamurti, a cab driver living in Kottivakkam Kuppam, said he had repeatedly postponed buying spectacles despite poor vision.

"Every time I made plans, unforeseen expenses came up and I told myself, next time," he said. Like Rani, he waited patiently for his turn, relieved that he would finally be able to see clearly. PTI JR SSK