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Is it safe to eat seafood in Kerala? How the sinking of a cargo ship brought concerns to the coast
As the Liberian-flagged container ship, MSC ELSA 3, sank off the Kerala coast last week, worries over pollution caused by it continue. While officials have so far denied an oil spill, plastics from the shipwreck lining multiple shores have raised concerns about the impact on marine life and the safety of seafood in the region read more
Following sinking of cargo ship off the Kerala coast, worries over potential pollution, ranging from oil to tiny plastic pellets,have raised questions about the long-term impact on marine life and the safety of seafood in the region. Image for Representation. AFP
A recent capsize of a cargo ship off the Kerala coast has triggered fresh fears for the state's delicate marine ecosystem.
Last week, MSC ELSA 3, a Liberian-flagged container ship travelling from Vizhinjam port to Kochi, capsized near Alappuzha. The vessel was carrying 640 containers—some of which, the Coast Guard says, included 'hazardous cargo' that has now started washing ashore. Inside the ship's tanks were also large amounts of fuel, sparking fears about a major oil spill.
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While officials have denied any confirmed oil spill so far, concerns are far from over. Worries over potential pollution, ranging from oil to tiny plastic pellets known as nurdles, continue to grow, with questions being raised about the long-term impact on marine life and the safety of seafood in the region.
So, how serious is the damage? What steps are authorities taking? And most importantly, can you still safely eat fish from the Kerala coast? Here's what we know so far.
How difficult is it to manage an oil spill?
The MSC ELSA 3 was carrying a significant amount of fuel—at least 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367 metric tonnes of furnace oil, according to the Coast Guard.
Though officials have ruled out a major spill, the director of Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) Dr T M Balakrishnan Nair, on Wednesday confirmed that there were traces of oil along the Alappuzha coast.
'Our six-member team has found small patches of oil slick along the coast. These are bunker oil used in ships. As the oil spill has been contained almost, we do not expect a massive oil slick. However, it would continue to appear on the southern Kerala coast in the coming days also. Everything depends upon how much oil has leaked out from the ship,' he told the Indian Express.
The Liberian container vessel MSC ELSA 3 sank off the coast of Kerala on Sunday. It contained at least 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367 metric tonnes of furnace oil. Image courtesy: PTI
Earlier, a simulation conducted by the agency suggested that if all the diesel and furnace oil from the vessel were to leak into the sea, there was a high chance it would drift towards the Kerala coast, specifically the stretch between Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram.
Managing oil spills is no easy task. Each incident behaves differently depending on the type and volume of oil released. Cleanup operations are often expensive, labour-intensive, and can stretch on for months.
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In the case of MSC ELSA 3, experts say it's critical to stop the oil from reaching the shoreline.
'Oil smothering could threaten sensitive marine species and disrupt fishing activities, particularly affecting artisanal fishers in coastal regions. If the spill spreads, it may harm marine productivity, especially during the monsoon, a critical period for pelagic fish breeding and growth. This could have lasting consequences for fisheries,' Grinson George, director of Kochi-based Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), told The Times of India.
Meanwhile, authorities say their top priorities include recovering the oil, retrieving containers adrift at sea, and removing those that have washed up on beaches. July 3 has been set as the deadline for completing oil recovery efforts.
Plastic shipwreck sparks worry about pollutants
Even as authorities monitor for a possible oil spill, another threat has already started washing ashore—pollutants from the cargo itself.
Several containers from the sunken MSC ELSA 3 have broken loose and made landfall, bringing with them plastic pellets, chemicals, and potentially hazardous materials.
In recent days, beaches in Thiruvananthapuram, such as Thumba and Kochuveli, have seen large amounts of nurdles, small plastic pellets used in the production of plastic goods. These can be mistaken for food by marine life and are extremely difficult to clean up once they spread, reports _The News Minute.
_
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🚨 Eco-Disaster Unfolding in India
Millions of plastic pellets (nurdles) are washing up on Kerala's shores after the MSC ELSA3 shipwreck.
🐢 Marine life is choking.
🌍 Ecosystems are at risk.
👣 Humans aren't far behind.
This is a global wake-up call.#NurdleSpill #PlasticCrisis… pic.twitter.com/CRWrh5TUco — Paulose Jacob Peter (@Anand02908794) May 28, 2025
INCOIS has predicted that nurdles may drift along a stretch of 84 nautical miles off the Kovalam coast by May 29. As per an update by the INCOIS on May 26, 30 tonnes of cargo have been floating in the sea, while 45 tonnes have reached the shore. Around 25 tonnes of cargo have either evaporated or dispersed.
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A recent yet-to-be-published study has already raised alarms about the region's vulnerability.
'Incidents like this will cause the presence of microplastics in commercially available fish to go beyond the permissible levels. Bioaccumulation of these pollutants in our body will have long-term impacts,' Dr Shaju SS, assistant professor at the Department of Chemical Oceanography at Cochin University of Science and Technology, told The News Minute.
The ship was also carrying 640 containers, which also included 13 marked as 'hazardous cargo' and 12 containing calcium carbide.
Kerala holds emergency expert meet after Liberian ship sinks near shore, bans fishing, deploys pollution control teams. PTI
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has issued a public warning, urging people not to approach any containers washed up on shore, as calcium carbide can trigger dangerous exothermic reactions if it comes into contact with water and can cause explosions, Shaju told the outlet.
The Coast Guard has responded by deploying clean-up vessels and conducting aerial surveillance to track the spread of pollutants. Authorities have also deployed 108 personnel onshore for container recovery and cleanup.
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'Thirty-eight people have been deployed in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, and Kollam, linked directly to DDMA (District Disaster Management Authority). District Collectors are actively coordinating response efforts. Fifty containers have been traced across seven sites. Efforts are underway to retrieve them within two days,' Capt Abul Kalam Azad, Nautical Advisor to the Union Government, said.
Is it safe to eat seafood?
So far, yes.
Despite the concerns surrounding the sunken vessel and potential pollutants, experts say there is no need to panic, at least not yet.
The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and the State Fisheries Department are actively monitoring the situation. Regular water sampling is underway, and authorities are closely tracking any signs of contamination.
Speaking to Kerala-based outlet Mathrubhumi News, CMFRI Director Dr Grinson George said there's currently no reason to avoid eating seafood as fish from the affected area are not entering the market. Fishing is currently banned in the immediate vicinity of the wreck.
CMFRI Director Dr Grinson George said there's currently no reason to avoid eating seafood as fish from the affected area are not entering the market. Fishing is currently banned in the immediate vicinity of the wreck. File image/PTI
The outlet also cited food safety experts who noted that unless there's confirmed leakage, the situation shouldn't raise alarm. Even in the event of some leakage, the vast volume of seawater could help dilute any harmful substances before they pose a widespread threat.
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As of now, agencies continue to test seawater quality and collect samples. The Fisheries Department is expected to issue official guidance once the scientific assessments are complete.
With input from agencies
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