RAMANATHAPURAM/ CHENNAI: A plastic nurdle spill from the Liberian-flagged MSC ELSA 3, which sank off the Kochi coast Kerala few weeks back, has spread into the newly declared Dhanushkodi Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Ramanathapuram.
Approximately 80 bags, each weighing 25 kilograms, have washed ashore across a 12-km stretch, littering sites like Dhanushkodi old church, Irattaithalai, Mugandharayan Chathiram, Gothanda Ramar temple, and Patchappatti villages.
Carried by southwest-to-northeast ocean currents from Thiruvananthapuram-Kanniyakumari, the spill threatens the ecologically sensitive Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park by smothering its coral reefs. With fishing set to resume in a few days after 61-day annual ban, fishermen are worried about drop in catch and demand, if the spill persists.
District Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon told TNIE, "We've identified 15-30 bags containing plastic nurdles along the Ramanathapuram coastline. A special team is deployed to clean up the debris, with additional teams inspecting the shore for further debris." He reassured residents, stating, "People should not be alarmed, as we are addressing the issue promptly."
The MSC ELSA 3 was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials, 12 with calcium carbide, 367 tonnes of furnace oil, and 84 tonnes of diesel, raising concerns about additional environmental risks. The shipping company, so far, has not revealed the cargo manifest, leads several speculation on the materials being carried.
The Dhanushkodi sanctuary, located within the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, is a vital stopover along the Central Asian Flyway, supporting 128 bird species, including Greater and Lesser Flamingos. Its diverse ecosystems-mangroves, sand dunes, and marshes-provide habitats for fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and nesting sea turtles. The nurdles, tiny plastic pellets resembling fish eggs, pose severe threats to marine life, causing internal blockages, malnutrition, or death upon ingestion. They also absorb toxic chemicals, potentially entering the human food chain.
Going by the ocean current, there is a possibility of some portion of the pollutants may even spill into coral reefs rich Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park. They can smother coral reefs, disrupt seagrass beds, and block sunlight essential for photosynthesis, endangering the delicate balance.
The spill's timing during the monsoon-driven Malabar Upwelling Region (MUR) period exacerbates its impact. The MUR, stretching from Ratnagiri to Kanyakumari, sustains nearly 50% of India's marine fish landings, including Indian Mackerel and oil sardines, driven by nutrient-rich waters fueling plankton blooms. The 2021 X-Press Pearl disaster in Sri Lanka, where 1,680 tonnes of nurdles led to over 600 beached turtles and damaged fisheries, offers a grim precedent. A study on X-Press Pearl revealed nurdles caused 94% malformation in meroplankton and hatching reductions in holoplankton, threatening plankton-based food webs critical to the MUR and Dhanushkodi's ecosystems.
Cleanup is challenging due to nurdles' lightweight, buoyant nature and monsoon conditions, which accelerate their weathering into microplastics (from 4 mm to 1 mm). Marine biologist Biju Kumar warned, "We don't know the spill's quantity or what else is in the sunken containers. The impact on fish reproduction will only be clear after long-term assessment. Monsoon conditions prevent underwater monitoring, delaying our response."
The Thoothukudi-based Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute is conducting a short-term survey, collecting fish and sediment samples for chemical and toxicity tests, with results expected within a week.
With fishing set to resume in a few days time after a 61-day annual ban, fishermen are worried about drop in fish catch and demand, if the spill persists and spread to newer areas.
Nurdles harm marine life
The nurdles, tiny plastic pellets resembling fish eggs, pose severe threat to marine life, causing internal blockages, malnutrition, or death upon ingestion. They also absorb toxic chemicals, potentially entering the human food chain