Page 20 - 44 SAYURUSARA
P. 20
18 Sayurusara 2021 December
according to project manager François
Galgani. If local bacteria and plankton get stuck
in the plastic and wash up in other countries and
continents, it can disrupt existing ecosystems.
Possible effects to blue economy including
fishing industry
At least four containers have washed ashore and Since late May, tiny plastic pellets from
many more are thought to have sunk. the X-Press Pearl cargo have ended up on the
Negombo beaches while fish have already been
washed up with bloated bellies and pellets stuck in
their gills. Millions of plastic pellets have washed
up on Sri Lanka’s southwestern coast, a tourist
destination famous for its golden-sand beaches,
fringed by palm trees and coconut groves. Debris
from the vessel has already affected about 150
kilometers (93 miles) of shoreline.
The ship was carrying 1,486 containers holding The plastic can take between 500 to 1000 years
chemicals such as nitric acid, a highly corrosive to decompose and is likely to be carried by ocean
mineral acid, methanol, sodium hydroxide and currents to shores all around Sri Lanka and even
about 400 containers of small plastic pellets to beaches hundreds of kilometres away from the
known as nurdles, according to ITOPF, a nonprofit shipwreck.
set up by the shipping industry assisted the Sri
Lankan government in the emergency response Fishing was banned in the affected area -
to the incident. meaning that many of them lost their income and
livelihood practically overnight. "The fish are
The most long-lasting impact, likely to affect bred in the coral reefs in the area and authorities
the country for decades, is that of chemical are saying that all those breeding grounds were
pollution. Among the most dangerous elements destroyed due to the dangerous chemicals.
on board the ship was nitric acid, sodium
dioxide, copper and lead. Once in the water, these Reportedly the Sri Lankan government has
chemicals make their way into the bellies of the already submitted a $40 million claim to recoup
local marine life. Small fish might die quickly costs associated with the incident. By all accounts,
as a result of poisoning, but bigger ones are less the amount is likely to rise as the fallout from
likely to. Instead, feeding on smaller fish, the the incident is still being determined. While
toxins will slowly build up in their bodies over the government is expecting compensation
time. "So if in a few years you catch a tuna, it and insurance money from the Singapore-based
will still be contaminated - this bioaccumulation owners of the ship, the locals aren't too optimistic
will be a serious problem. This means fish from that much of money will be used to help them.
the area will be dangerous for humans - not just
for now, but for years to come. People need to Policy and legal framework
be educated on this, It's a completely toxic ship
now. Any litter coming to shore would be very Marine Pollution Prevention Act No. 35 of
poisonous and people should not even touch it." 2008 (administered by the Marine Environmental
Protection Authority/MEPA) has been established
Studies done by IFREMER, the French institute for protecting Sri Lankan waters from pollution.
for research and exploitation of the seas, show Although there are provisions to control pollution
that fish can actually expel small pieces of virgin - from ships, harbors/ports, any facility used
plastic like the ones in the Sri Lanka shipwreck, by ships and offshore petroleum exploration
projects - and to deal with offences, imposing
according to project manager François
Galgani. If local bacteria and plankton get stuck
in the plastic and wash up in other countries and
continents, it can disrupt existing ecosystems.
Possible effects to blue economy including
fishing industry
At least four containers have washed ashore and Since late May, tiny plastic pellets from
many more are thought to have sunk. the X-Press Pearl cargo have ended up on the
Negombo beaches while fish have already been
washed up with bloated bellies and pellets stuck in
their gills. Millions of plastic pellets have washed
up on Sri Lanka’s southwestern coast, a tourist
destination famous for its golden-sand beaches,
fringed by palm trees and coconut groves. Debris
from the vessel has already affected about 150
kilometers (93 miles) of shoreline.
The ship was carrying 1,486 containers holding The plastic can take between 500 to 1000 years
chemicals such as nitric acid, a highly corrosive to decompose and is likely to be carried by ocean
mineral acid, methanol, sodium hydroxide and currents to shores all around Sri Lanka and even
about 400 containers of small plastic pellets to beaches hundreds of kilometres away from the
known as nurdles, according to ITOPF, a nonprofit shipwreck.
set up by the shipping industry assisted the Sri
Lankan government in the emergency response Fishing was banned in the affected area -
to the incident. meaning that many of them lost their income and
livelihood practically overnight. "The fish are
The most long-lasting impact, likely to affect bred in the coral reefs in the area and authorities
the country for decades, is that of chemical are saying that all those breeding grounds were
pollution. Among the most dangerous elements destroyed due to the dangerous chemicals.
on board the ship was nitric acid, sodium
dioxide, copper and lead. Once in the water, these Reportedly the Sri Lankan government has
chemicals make their way into the bellies of the already submitted a $40 million claim to recoup
local marine life. Small fish might die quickly costs associated with the incident. By all accounts,
as a result of poisoning, but bigger ones are less the amount is likely to rise as the fallout from
likely to. Instead, feeding on smaller fish, the the incident is still being determined. While
toxins will slowly build up in their bodies over the government is expecting compensation
time. "So if in a few years you catch a tuna, it and insurance money from the Singapore-based
will still be contaminated - this bioaccumulation owners of the ship, the locals aren't too optimistic
will be a serious problem. This means fish from that much of money will be used to help them.
the area will be dangerous for humans - not just
for now, but for years to come. People need to Policy and legal framework
be educated on this, It's a completely toxic ship
now. Any litter coming to shore would be very Marine Pollution Prevention Act No. 35 of
poisonous and people should not even touch it." 2008 (administered by the Marine Environmental
Protection Authority/MEPA) has been established
Studies done by IFREMER, the French institute for protecting Sri Lankan waters from pollution.
for research and exploitation of the seas, show Although there are provisions to control pollution
that fish can actually expel small pieces of virgin - from ships, harbors/ports, any facility used
plastic like the ones in the Sri Lanka shipwreck, by ships and offshore petroleum exploration
projects - and to deal with offences, imposing
