THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Marine experts have raised alarm over the potential environmental consequences following the sinking of the MSC ELSA 3 off the Kochi coast.
Their primary concerns centre on the oil spill and the risk of cargo classified as International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) leaking into the sea.
Grinson George, director of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), said that a comprehensive assessment of the situation will take several days. He said that the ecological and economic repercussions depend significantly on the scale of any leaks.
“Oil contamination could pose a serious threat to sensitive marine species and disrupt fishing activities, particularly impacting local fishermen,” Grinson said.
“If the spill expands, it could greatly affect marine productivity, especially during the monsoon - a critical period for the breeding and growth of pelagic fish. This would have long-lasting consequences for the fishing industry, which had been anticipating a robust fishing season due to the traditionally high marine productivity during these months,” he added.
K V Thomas, a former scientist at the National Centre for Earth Science Studies, said that the oil spill could soon wash ashore as tar globules, particularly given the windy weather and ocean currents characteristic of the monsoon.
He said that the current tends to flow southward during this time, complicating containment efforts. However, he expressed greater concern regarding the hazardous materials within the cargo rather than the oil spill itself.
“If any containers are leaking, those materials could spread across the ocean floor, posing a serious threat to biodiversity,” he said.
Meanwhile, a shipping contractor involved in the salvage operation has reassured that only empty containers were discharged into the sea and that all 12 containers carrying hazardous materials remain intact and secure.