"X-Press Pearl: The 'toxic ship' that caused an environmental disaster", 10 June 2021

..a cargo ship carrying chemicals caught fire off the coast of Sri Lanka - leaving in its wake an environmental disaster that the island will likely have to live with for decades. For days it stood burning off the Sri Lanka coast, plumes of thick dark smoke that could be seen from miles away. But the X-Press Pearl has now fallen silent, lying half sunken off the coast of Sri Lanka, its hull resting on the shallow ocean bed. But though the flames have now been doused - the problems have only just begun. Onboard the ship, there are still towers of containers stacked upon each other, many containing chemicals highly dangerous to the environment - some of these have already leaked into the water, sparking fears that it may poison marine life. Additionally, tons of tiny plastic pellets have already washed up on local beaches nearby. And then there's the hundreds of tonnes of engine fuel sealed in the sunken hull that could also potentially leak into the sea. Aside from the environmental threats, there are also devastating consequences for the local communities, fishermen who overnight lost their livelihoods and will likely suffer for years to come. ..One thing stands out when looking at photos of the disaster - tiny round pieces of plastic that stretch out almost as far as the eye can see. These plastic pellets, also called nurdles, are used to make nearly all plastic goods. ..The plastic can take between 500 to 1000 years to decompose and is likely to be carried by ocean currents to shores all around Sri Lanka and even to beaches hundreds of kilometres away from the shipwreck. ..for the fishermen of Negombo, their concern is not only what's inside the fish - but the possibility of not being able to catch any fish at all. Fishing has now been banned in the affected area - meaning that many of them have lost their income and livelihood practically overnight..