MSC Elsa 3 shipwreck: Fish caught from Kerala coast safe to eat, says CIFT
KOCHI: The fish caught from Kerala coast is edible and there is no chemical contamination, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) director George Ninan has said.
Meanwhile, the government of Kerala has roped in leading fisheries research institutes like Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, CIFT and Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies to conduct a long-term study regarding the impact of the chemical contamination due to two accidents involving container vessels carrying dangerous cargo.
'The state fisheries minister had convened a meeting after the sinking of MSC Elsa 3 to discuss the fears about chemical contamination. We conducted a preliminary study using the fish and water samples collected by Matsyafed from various harbours from Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram.
The test proved the fish was edible and safe. The pH level of sea water collected from the state's coastline was normal. The turbidity level was slightly high because of the monsoon. The fluorescence test also gave positive results. This was a sensory evaluation and we need to have a detailed study to analyse the biochemical parameters,' George said.
The remarks come at a time when fishermen and vendors are complaining about a decline in demand for fish in the market. 'Many regular customers stopped purchasing fish after the shipwreck. However, there is a spike in demand for freshwater fish,' said Shinas, a fish vendor in Kochi.
The decline in demand for fish came as a blessing in disguise for poultry farmers, as sales jumped by 30% and the scarcity of fresh chicken in the market led to a sharp increase in its prices.
'There has been a spike in demand for poultry chicken after May 25. The market has recorded a 30% rise in sales which has led to scarcity. The production had plunged at the national level due to summer as the mortality rate was high. The wholesale price of chicken which stood at `80 per kg has risen to `125 per kg,' said All Kerala Poultry Federation general secretary S K Nazir.
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The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Who takes responsibility when a ship sinks?
The story so far: On June 9, MV Wan Hai 503, a Singapore-flagged vessel, caught fire nearly 88 nautical miles off Kerala's Beypore coast. The vessel was carrying more than 2,000 tonnes of fuel and hundreds of containers, the burning of which has caused concerns about the potential ecological impact. Search operations for the hazardous containers are still on. Earlier on May 25, the Liberian container ship MSC ELSA 3 sank off the coast of Kochi, Kerala. Who regulates global shipping? Global merchant shipping is primarily regulated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The IMO is among the most powerful U.N. agencies, as many of its prescriptions and guidelines apply across shipping, given the multinational nature of the industry. Countries that are members of the IMO, India included, sign various conventions that lay down norms regarding pollution, safety, accidents, liabilities and responsibilities, after which member states pass appropriate domestic legislation or lay down rules that sync with convention prescriptions. In India, it is the Directorate General (DG) of Shipping which issues notices for such purposes. In some cases, Parliament sanction may also be needed. In general, India is a signatory to many conventions, barring a few, such as the 2004 Ballast Water Convention and the 2010 Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) Convention. The HNS Convention deals with liability and compensation for damage related to the carriage of hazardous and noxious substances on ships. Given the increasing accidents on its coast, India may be served by ratifying this convention. In the case of the ELSA 3, in which many containers carrying noxious substances such as calcium carbide sank, India will seek remedies under its own merchant shipping laws. Ships are owned by companies across the world. Greece and China lead in being homes to many of these companies. But the ships are often registered in various other nations for convenience and ease of operations. Though members of the IMO and governed by IMO norms, such nations offer less intrusive scrutiny and are therefore called Flags of Convenience (FOC). Liberia is one such country, Marshall Islands is another. Who is liable for the loss of cargo and any damage to the environment? The ship owner is liable for both. The trade of goods is governed by a contract called the bill of lading, which covers the transport of goods from one port to another, and is issued by the ship owner to the exporter during the loading of cargo. The owner of the bill of lading is the owner of the cargo. The bill of lading is a contract that lays down that the owner undertakes to ship the cargo from one port to another among other things. The bill of lading is transferred to the importer or the consignee, as per various shipment forms, after payment to the exporter. Typically, the importer opens a letter of credit to the exporter, and the bank then extends the credit and acquires the bill of lading from the exporter. When the receiver receives the cargo and makes the payment, he gets the bill of lading from the bank. In case of damage or loss of cargo, the ship owner has to pay whoever owns the bill of lading. But that payment is covered by the Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Club, which is a cluster of several insurance companies who share the risk. Damage to the body of the ship and machinery, that is a business loss for the owner, is usually covered by indemnity. But in P&I, the insurer protects the owner against any claims on the owner too, such as in the case of damage to environment or loss of cargo or loss of life onboard the ship and elsewhere as a consequence of an accident involving the ship. International conventions have capped the liability of the ship owner on loss of cargo, but there is no limit on claims against environment damage such as in the case of oil pollution or hazardous substances. The last could apply to the sunken containers of ELSA 3 or Wan Hai 503 that caught fire. Oil pollution damages itself cover a vast range — impacting fish catch, affecting tourism, loss to other businesses, transportation and so on. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships upholds the polluter pays principle. Sometimes, however, national laws do protect against extended and potentially endless claims. Who should salvage a ship that has sank? This responsibility also rests with the ship owner. The Nairobi Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007 governs this situation, and India is a signatory. Under this, the ship owner whose ship has sunk within the sovereign waters of India — up to 200 nautical miles from a reference line on the coast — has to salvage the ship. In case the ship cannot be refloated, especially if the waters are too deep, then the ship owner is liable for any claims of damage. Why do ships still sink? While advanced materials, knowledge, expertise and skill go into building ships, they are exposed to the vagaries of the sea and its multi-layered impact cannot always be predicted in a pinpointed way. For instance, in ELSA 3, as the ship started tilting to one side — listing, in shipping parlance — containers that were stowed on top fell into the sea that was already rough. This led to the list increasing on the heavier side which could have led to the ship sinking. Quite often, a series of errors, mistakes and small incidents sync to create a major accident. By themselves, each of these mistakes and incidents are not a cause of much concern. Too often, such mistakes are manmade and often, egregious. Today merchant ships tend to sail close to the coast in search of mobile phone signals so that seafarers with roaming facilities can stay in touch with their friends or family. Wakashio, a bulk carrier, ran aground off Mauritius in 2020, leading to an oil spill, because it went too close to the shore in search of mobile phone signals. This was during the COVID-19 pandemic when seafarers were spending extended periods out at sea amidst concerns about their health and that of their families'. The unsinkable Titanic sank because of human error. But after the sinking, a convention called Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) came into being. SOLAS is one of the key conventions that govern shipping and is often revised. A key lesson from the Titanic, which has now been implemented as a SOLAS norm, is that lifeboats on either side of the ship should have enough capacity to carry the number of people the ship is designed to carry. This means that if the ship tilts to one side and the lifeboats on only one side are accessible, even then, they should be able to carry all those people on board to safety. The shipping industry learns from each accident. The IMO revises and supplements its guidelines periodically regarding ship design and construction that are then adopted by the industry.
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- The Hindu
Fear of flotsam
On May 28, 2025, some flotsam reached the western coastline of Kanniyakumari district. Panic spread as the residents of the coastal hamlets noticed bags of chemicals, plastic pellets (nurdles), and loose nurdles washing ashore amid the flotsam. As they were aware of the Liberian cargo vessel having sunk off the Kochi coast on May 25, roughly 300 km away, the villagers wondered with trepidation whether pollution had reached their coast too. The initial investigation traced the contents to the vessel, MSC Elsa 3, which found their way to the Arabian Sea after the shipwreck. The ship had carried 644 containers, some of which had hazardous materials including calcium carbide, 367.1 metric tonnes of heavy furnace oil, and over 60 tonnes of diesel. As 28 huge containers from the ship which sank 38 nautical miles off Kochi washed ashore in the coastal areas near Kollam, plastic pellets were found in Thiruvananthapuram in a day's time. Redirected southward Ocean currents redirected some of the floating materials southward, causing them to wash ashore along the Kanniyakumari coast. The debris trail spread up to even Dhanushkodi and Arichalmunai in the Rameshwaram coast in the following days. The debris, including a container, wooden materials, cashew nuts and bags of plastic pellets, began drifting with the currents and landing along the coast of Kanniyakumari. Dickson, a resident of Vallavilai, says, 'Most of us knew this would happen, once we got to know that the debris had started washing ashore along the coast of Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram.' He adds that apart from nurdles, a log, possibly of teak wood or sandalwood, also washed ashore at Vallavilai. Villages, such as Neerody, Eraviputhenthurai, Enayam, Chinnathurai, Midalam, Kadiyapattinam, Simon Colony, Melamanakudy, Erayumanthurai, and Chothavilai, reported a significant amount of loose nurdles and bags of plastic pellets. Residents of Vallavilai, Kodimunai, and Midalam noticed iron rods and cashew nuts which were later traced to the shipwreck. On May 29, a container itself washed up on the coast of Vaniyakudi. The district administration started its response in coordination with the Revenue and Fisheries Departments and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, with advice from experts. On the 12-km stretch from Dhanushkodi to Arichalmunai in Rameswaram, about 80 bags of plastic pellets and more than 500 kg of loose nurdles have been removed so far. As the clean-up and salvaging of the container were done in line with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) laid down by the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, conservancy workers and volunteers were roped in to collect the nurdles with protective gear, according to officials. However, A. Biju Kumar, senior professor, Marine Monitoring Lab, Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, says, 'India does not have an SOP for handling plastic pellets in the sea.' Though the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has laid down norms for safe handling of such materials, India itself does not have any rules, he adds. While the plastic pellets would cause no harm to the handlers, a study should be initiated to find out its long-term impact on the marine ecosystem, he stresses. Prompt alert Kanniyakumari Collector R. Alagumeena chaired a meeting with representatives of 15 coastal villages. Speaking to The Hindu, she said fishermen promptly alerted the authorities to the situation on May 28 and thereafter, thus helping in immediate remediation. She added that the debris was packed into 25-kg bags and transported to the fishing harbours at Thengapattinam, Colachel, and Chinna Muttom. From there, they would be transported to the Customs Office at Thoothukudi. According to the Kanniyakumari district administration, as of June 11, 58,375 kg of nurdles have been stored at the harbours in the district. The administration has formed a team to monitor accumulation of debris. While the official measures offered some relief, the fishing community feels that the incident has not received adequate attention from the government, given its impact on marine life and livelihood. Sagar of Erayumanthurai is unhappy with the lack of legal action against the ship company and the harbour management. 'Fishermen are the ones who bear the brunt of this disaster,' he says. He points to the growing evidence of turtles and other marine species ingesting plastics. 'Who really knows how marine life or the ocean itself has been affected? Eventually, the livelihood of fishermen will be affected,' Mr. Sagar says. Experts and fishermen from Dhanushkodi say that unlike the affected areas in Kerala and Kanniyakumari, the Gulf of Mannar region, which encompasses a wide area of corals, should be monitored. 'Plastics may stymie the corals' Mr. Biju Kumar says that as the area hosts coral reefs, along with vital seagrass meadows and endangered species such as dugongs and sea turtles, a long-term study is indispensable for gauging the harm done to the ecosystem by the plastic pellets. The plastics depositing gradually on the polyps may destroy their growth, he says. In the absence of a mechanism to remove the plastic pellets from the coastal areas, the clean-up would be an arduous task and the only option left is to study the future impact on the marine ecosystem. 'Though immediate consumption of fish from the region would not be a cause for concern, plastic pellets, already in the form of microplastics, can be traced in organisms living in the sea,' he says. However, the Fisheries Department in Rameswaram has asked the fishermen not to use purse seine nets so as to avoid fish that could have swallowed the pellets. To assess the situation and ascertain the damage to the aquatic ecosystem in and around the Gulf of Mannar and Kanniyakumari, the Tamil Nadu government, along with the Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute (SDMRI) in Thoothukudi, has begun an environmental assessment of the coastal areas. No disturbance in water Early findings reveal no significant geochemical disturbance in water or sediment across the Kanniyakumari coast, with most physicochemical parameters and heavy metal concentrations falling within the acceptable limits. The samples collected included water, sediments, fish, and nurdles, according to sources. SEM-EDAX, a technique that combines scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis to study the morphology and elemental composition, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), a technique to identify and analyse the chemical composition of materials, have revealed that the nurdles are composed of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) plastics. 'The assessment has also revealed the presence of nurdles in six fish samples from four sites, mainly in the gills, but some in gut, and all were PP plastics,' says the report. This indicates early exposure through respiration and ingestion. The study has also revealed elevated Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) levels at select sites in the district, indicating the preliminary stage of hydrocarbon pollution linked to the oil spill. Although no immediate toxicological impact was noticed, the presence of nurdles in fish and TPH in the environment underscores the need for continued bio-monitoring, suggests the assessment done by SDMRI. A similar initial assessment was carried out by SDMRI, along with the Forest Department, on the Mandapam group of islands — Hare, Manoli, Manoliputti, Krusadai, and Shingle Islands. SDMRI director J.K. Patterson Edward says that although nurdles were found scattered along the seaward side of Hare Island on a shoreline stretch of about 2 km, no nurdle spill was found on the other four islands. Three unopened bags of nurdles were also found on Hare Island. He adds that no nurdle deposit was noted in the coral reefs and seagrass beds on any of the islands. However, when a few fish samples were examined, no traces of nurdles were found, he says. Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests, says the Collectors had been tasked with steering and monitoring the clean-up in Kanniyakumari and Ramanathapuram. 'We are in touch with the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) monitoring the direction of ocean currents. We are also in touch with our counterparts in Kerala involved in clearing up the nurdles,' she adds. A long-term environmental assessment will be done. The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken suo motu cognisance of the shipwreck and directed the Kerala and Central Pollution Control Boards to submit detailed reports by July 23. The Principal Bench, comprising Justice Prakash Srivastava and expert member A. Senthil Vel, said the incident appeared to violate three key environmental laws: the Biological Diversity Act, 2002; the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974; and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Though the case is yet to be formally transferred to the NGT's Southern Bench, it came up for discussion there on June 10. At the hearing, Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana questioned counsel for Tamil Nadu about the action taken so far. Lack of guidelines M. Geo Damin, of Poovulagin Nanbargal, an environmental NGO, says, 'As of now, no proper SOP or guidelines have been formulated by governments across the globe. While shipwreck or other coastal accidents are mostly unavoidable, the rescue and clean-up can be more spontaneous and effective.' As technological advances can provide the direction of water currents based on wind speed and other factors, the measures to contain the spill can be done more effectively, he says. Though the government should provide compensation to members of the fishing community and the public affected by the spill, international mechanisms should be formulated to make polluters pay, he argues. He suggests simple measures — safe packaging of hazardous materials and stacking of hazardous materials at the bottom of ships — to limit the impact of accidents. (With inputs from Geetha Srimathi in Chennai.)
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
MSC Elsa 3 shipwreck: Fish caught from Kerala coast safe to eat, says CIFT
KOCHI: The fish caught from Kerala coast is edible and there is no chemical contamination, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) director George Ninan has said. Meanwhile, the government of Kerala has roped in leading fisheries research institutes like Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, CIFT and Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies to conduct a long-term study regarding the impact of the chemical contamination due to two accidents involving container vessels carrying dangerous cargo. 'The state fisheries minister had convened a meeting after the sinking of MSC Elsa 3 to discuss the fears about chemical contamination. We conducted a preliminary study using the fish and water samples collected by Matsyafed from various harbours from Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram. The test proved the fish was edible and safe. The pH level of sea water collected from the state's coastline was normal. The turbidity level was slightly high because of the monsoon. The fluorescence test also gave positive results. This was a sensory evaluation and we need to have a detailed study to analyse the biochemical parameters,' George said. The remarks come at a time when fishermen and vendors are complaining about a decline in demand for fish in the market. 'Many regular customers stopped purchasing fish after the shipwreck. However, there is a spike in demand for freshwater fish,' said Shinas, a fish vendor in Kochi. The decline in demand for fish came as a blessing in disguise for poultry farmers, as sales jumped by 30% and the scarcity of fresh chicken in the market led to a sharp increase in its prices. 'There has been a spike in demand for poultry chicken after May 25. The market has recorded a 30% rise in sales which has led to scarcity. The production had plunged at the national level due to summer as the mortality rate was high. The wholesale price of chicken which stood at `80 per kg has risen to `125 per kg,' said All Kerala Poultry Federation general secretary S K Nazir.
