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Plastic pellets found on shore following collision between ships in North Sea


By PA News



Plastic pellets which can be a risk to wildlife have washed up on shore following the collision between a tanker and a container ship in the North Sea, the coastguard has said.

Conservationists said they were “deeply concerned” after the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it was informed by the RNLI on Sunday of a “sheen” in the sea just off The Wash, which has turned out to be “nurdles” – small pellets of plastic resin used in plastics production.

The agency said the pellets are likely to have entered the water at the point of the collision between the Stena Immaculate tanker and the container ship Solong, off the coast of East Yorkshire last Monday.

The plastic pellets are thought to have been released following the collision between the tanker Stena immaculate and the container ship Solong (Danny Lawson/PA)
The plastic pellets are thought to have been released following the collision between the tanker Stena immaculate and the container ship Solong (Danny Lawson/PA)

Chief coastguard Paddy O’Callaghan said on Monday that some of the nurdles have now been identified on the shore.

The nurdles, which are between 1-5mm in size and weigh less than a gram, are not toxic but they can present a risk to wildlife if ingested, the MCA said.

Mr O’Callaghan said: “Yesterday, the RNLI advised the MCA of a sighting in waters just off the Wash of a sheen that we now know to be plastic nurdles.

“This was confirmed by aerial surveillance flights and other assets have subsequently been deployed.

The coastguard said some of the nurdles had been identified on the shore (MCA/PA)
The coastguard said some of the nurdles had been identified on the shore (MCA/PA)

“Some nurdles have now also been identified on the shore.

“Retrieval has started today.

“This is a developing situation and the Transport Secretary continues to be updated regularly.”

Calum Duncan, head of policy and advocacy at the Marine Conservation Society, said: “We’re deeply concerned about nurdles washing up along the Wash, a vital internationally important protected area for birds like waders, wildfowl, gulls and terns.

“These tiny plastic pellets, used in manufacturing countless plastic products, pose a significant threat to marine life.

“Fish and seabirds could mistake them for food, leading to starvation and serious health issues.

“We need to see governments take stronger action to prevent nurdle spills at every stage of the supply chain, including during transportation, to protect our seas and wildlife.”

A week after the vessels collided, triggering an explosion and fires which burned for a number of days, they both remain in the North Sea, with the Stena Immaculate at anchor 12 miles off Withernsea, and the Solong about 20 miles further south, off Mablethorpe.

The coastguard position remains that there continues to be no cause for concern for pollution from the tanker
Crowley, maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate

The Coastguard said salvage operations were continuing at both vessels.

The company managing the Stena Immaculate described at the weekend how the “heroic” crew of the US fuel tanker had triggered a crucial fire-fighting system before abandoning ship.

Thanks to their efforts, only one of the Stena Immaculate’s cargo tanks containing jet fuel was damaged, Crowley, the maritime company said.

A salvage team has confirmed that 17,515 barrels of the 220,000 being carried have been lost, Crowley said.

The pellets are not toxic but can be a hazard to animals if ingested, the coastguard said (MCA/PA)
The pellets are not toxic but can be a hazard to animals if ingested, the coastguard said (MCA/PA)

“The coastguard position remains that there continues to be no cause for concern for pollution from the tanker,” a statement added.

A total of 36 people were rescued from the ships following the collision but a sailor from the Solong is missing and presumed dead.

The Solong’s captain, Vladimir Motin, 59, of Primorsky, St Petersburg, Russia, appeared at Hull Magistrates’ Court on Saturday morning charged with gross negligence manslaughter and was remanded in custody.

He will appear at the Old Bailey on April 14.

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