New research has brought to light the unseen and underestimated dangers of cargo containers lost at sea, both at sea, in coastal areas and in shipping. In the past 15 years, more than 20,000 containers have been lost at sea, releasing their various contents into marine ecosystems, according to a study published this Thursday.
Containers, when lost, can spread widespread litter across the ocean, polluting beaches, harming wildlife habitats and severely impacting fisheries. Although some materials return to shore, most containers sink and remain on the ocean floor, often unrecovered, contributing to large patches of marine debris. “Just because they’re ‘out of sight, out of mind’ doesn’t mean there aren’t major ecological consequences,” marine biologist Andrew Devogelaire of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California told The Associated Press (AP). ).
Cargo ships can lose hundreds from a container, especially in adverse weather conditions. However, the estimate of annual losses varies. The World Shipping Council, a shipping industry group, estimates that an average of 1,500 containers are lost annually over the past 16 years of monitoring. However, some experts believe the real figure is much higher because the council’s data does not cover the entire industry and there are no penalties for those who do not report such losses.
One of the worst examples of environmental impact occurred off the coast of Sri Lanka in 2021, when the X-press Pearl caught fire and sank near Colombo. The days-long disaster resulted in the loss of more than 1,400 shipping containers at sea, the release of billions of tiny plastic particles used in manufacturing called “nurtles” and tons of toxic chemicals such as nitric acid. lead, methanol and sodium hydroxide. Three years later, thousands of plastic particles continue to wash up on the region’s beaches.
Hemantha Vithanage, founder of the Sri Lanka Center for Environmental Justice, remembers the unbearable chemical smell on the beach near his home. Volunteers collected thousands of dead fish whose gills were blocked by chemically contaminated plastic, as well as nearly 400 sea turtles, 40 dolphins and six whales, all of which died from choking on plastic. “It looked like a war zone,” Withanage told the AP.
The impact on the fishing industry was also devastating, with commercial fishing operations in the area suspended for three months. About 12,000 fishing families have been left without income during this period and have only received a fraction of the $72 million they were owed in compensation for the damage.
In addition to environmental concerns, lost containers pose a significant risk to shipping. These containers float for days or even weeks before finally sinking, creating hazards for both large merchant ships and small pleasure craft. World Sailing, the world’s top sailing organization, has documented at least eight incidents in which crews have been forced to abandon their boats after collisions, probably with drifting containers. In a notable case in 2016, sailor Thomas Ruyant, on a round-the-world voyage, saw his boat break apart after a sudden impact, suspected to be a collision with a drifting container.
Another recent incident involved the cargo ship President Eisenhower, which lost 24 containers off the coast of Central California in February this year. Some of these containers, filled with cotton bales, exploded and their contents soaked in water and washed ashore near the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a protected area. Officials including the US Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Service (NOAA), and the California State Parks Department coordinated the cleanup of the site. Cotton bales, due to their weight, must be cut into small pieces, each of these pieces filling two garbage trucks.
Despite efforts to monitor and mitigate impacts, experts argue that more needs to be done to prevent containers being lost at sea and hold shipping companies accountable for unreported losses. The AP report highlights the lack of penalties for companies that don’t report their losses, leaving the impression that the problem is largely unsolved.
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