An operation to clean-up thousands of plastic pellets that have appeared in the North Sea in the wake of a collision last week between a US oil tanker and a cargo ship has become “a race against time” as authorities work to clear beaches of pollution before tides turn and the debris is washed “back into our food chain.”

This is the latest in a long list of serious environmental concerns that have been raised in the wake of the collision last Monday (March 10th) in which one man died and environmental groups across the region were put on red alert for the long-term environmental impact on wildlife that was to come.

It was one week ago that the MV Stena Immaculate – a US chartered oil tanker carrying military aviation fuel – was struck by the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship, the Solong, wreaking havoc across a region of the North Sea close to – if not within – two critical marine protected areas.

The fallout of the incident is still being felt today, as an operation gets underway to retrieve thousands of plastic pellets that were spilled into the sea after the collision. The coastguard has said the pellets are made of plastic resin and have begun to wash up in ‘melted clumps’ on beaches in Norfolk and the surrounding coast.

Authorities have confirmed that while they are not toxic, they do pose a danger to wildlife, only adding to the growing list of fears that this collision will have long-lasting effects upon marine biodiversity across not only the local region, but up and down the food chain.

It’s thought that the small pieces of plastic – around 1mm to 5mm large – entered the water when the container ship crashed into a tanker carrying jet fuel for the US Military. Initial concerns had been raised that the cargo ship was carrying sodium cyanide. The cargo ship’s owners later, however, said this wasn’t the case.

While that provided environmental groups across the area some comfort, many have been braced for reverberations of the collision upon local wildlife since the event last Monday (March 10th).

Steve Rowland, RSPB area manager, said: “We are today seeing plastic nurdles, pellets the size of lentils, washing up along miles and miles of Norfolk coast, including on our nature reserve at Titchwell. Some are loose and some are clumped together, they are charred and smell of kerosene. We believe they are from last week’s tragic ship collision in the North Sea.”

The vessels involved in the incident both caught fire after several explosions, resulting in the evacuation of 36 crew members including Americans aboard the tanker and members of the Russian and Filipino crew of the Solong. 

Speaking to The Guardian, the chief coastguard, Paddy O’Callaghan, said: “Yesterday, the RNLI advised the Maritime and Coastguard Agency of a sighting in waters just off the Wash of a sheen that we now know to be plastic nurdles. Some nurdles have now also been identified on the shore.

“Retrieval has started today. This is a developing situation and the transport secretary continues to be updated regularly.”

Pollution spotted at Titchwell – part of the RSPB’s East Coast Wetlands – has raised serious concerns for conservationists, playing – as it does – an internationally important role for birds and wildlife migrating along its route this time of year.

Rowland continued: “This is also a vital feeding place for seabirds and soon the nesting site for rare and threatened terns and wading birds. This is a much-loved living coast, and we know people will be very concerned. 

“Currently, the pollution is on the tideline, but we only have a few days to get this off the beaches before rising tides disperse the debris and it is washed back into the sea and into the food chain. This is a real race against time – we’ve got about seven days before the tides change.”

Plastic nurdles are small plastic pellets that can be mistaken by some species – such as birds – for food, resembling eggs or small crustacea. At present, four patches of nurdles have been mapped and recorded in surveys and the relevant authorities have now deployed vessels to try to net pollutants from the sea.

Head of conservation for Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, Tammy Smalley, said: “Although it is a worry for wildlife and will continue to be as long as the clean-up of the collision last week continues; communication and co-ordination is going well between all the authorities and related environmental bodies across a large geographic area.

“From being seen yesterday and being confirmed by the end of yesterday that burnt material, plastic nurdles, and other materials have collated in locations in the mouth of The Wash and along Norfolk coast, the authorities have mobilised clean-up operations.

“We will continue to support the authorities in this endeavour.”

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