A coastguard-led operation is underway to clear plastic pellets, known as nurdles, from beaches in Norfolk after a ship collision thought to have released them into UK waters.
The Stena Immaculate oil tanker collided with the Solong cargo ship off East Yorkshire’s coast on March 10. The pellets, used in making most plastic products, entered the sea when the ships caught fire.
Wildlife organisations, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), have warned that a “race against time” is underway to clear the pellets before they harm local wildlife. Nurdles can be tainted with toxic chemicals and are a significant threat to birds and other marine life.
The RSPB hopes that lower tides in the coming days will aid recovery efforts, which include retrieval operations by coastguard rescue teams and specialist counter-pollution assets. Members of the public have been warned not to touch the nurdles and to alert the coastguard instead.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has launched an investigation into the cause of the collision, while the Marine Accident Investigation Branch is trying to establish the cause of the crash. The incident has highlighted the need for vigilance in preventing marine pollution.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c981r44e3k9o