Daily Times

Sri Lanka is synonymous with beautiful beaches and glorious island-life. It is known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean for more reason than one, and its beauty truly does stem from its intrinsic relationship with nature. However, as is the case with most things beautiful, they seldom seem to be valued and cared for.

Enter, stage right: Man.

We live in a world that is mostly ocean, yet we as human beings seldom do our part in ensuring that what we view as just a ‘blue tank of water’ remains one of the reasons that we thrive and survive. People do not realise the value of the majority of organisms within the ocean, and how much of the work they are truly doing to ensure our very survival. These marine organisms are the base of every marine food chain and without them, nothing else would remain; no fish, no extended food sources, no life.

Despite this urgent necessity to protect our oceans, we see that due to the rapid development that mankind is engaged in, disasters occur, thereby causing years-worth of damage to the ecosystem in which they take place.

One such example is currently unfolding as a maritime nightmare on the seas of Sri Lanka. The country is facing its worst beach pollution crisis in history as tonnes of plastic waste from the burning container ship, Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl, is washing ashore. Reports confirm that fishermen have been banned from an 80-kilometre (50-mile) stretch of coast near the X-Press Pearl as an international firefighting operation rages on. This ferocious fire has been burning off Sri Lanka’s western coast for over a week. Over 1,480 containers, including 25 tonnes of nitric acid and other chemicals are on board, and authorities say measures are being taken to prepare for a possible oil or chemical spill. The three-month old, 2,700 teu ship, caught fire on Thursday off the Colombo Port. What followed was even more terrible news over the next few days: the vessel suffered an explosion, and all crew were evacuated, with at least eight containers (some feared to be containing acid) tumbling into the sea. Authorities have issued swimming bans nearby. High winds in the area are also fanning the flames into an even greater inferno, prodding environmentalists and marine experts alike to questions how this incident even came to pass.

Ultimately, it is always nature that suffers as a consequence of man-made greed and destruction. It is no wonder that as Sri Lankans brave yet another period of travel restrictions, nature seems to flourish when people are locked up

The MV X-Press Pearl ship had not informed the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) of a leaking nitric acid container aboard the vessel when departing from India and had only notified them about the leak upon arrival within a short distance of the Colombo Harbour, according to SLPA officials, who have gone on record while wishing to remain anonymous. The SLPA officials went on to state that they were only informed about the said acid leak once the ship had entered Colombo waters and they were preparing to assist it, which was when the fire had broken out aboard the vessel. “When the ship came to Sri Lankan waters in the early hours of 20 May and anchored about 9.5 nautical miles away from the Colombo Harbour, it informed the Port of the acid leakage in one of its containers and the Port was preparing to assist in a rework operation, which was when the distress call came from aboard the ship about a fire,” said the officials while talking to local media. The fact that human error of such magnitude has led to such a disastrous maritime tragedy unfolding in Sri Lanka’s waters only adds to the on-going stresses already plaguing the country.

Environmental experts are warning that the greatest threat to the area now are the millions of polyethylene pellets washing up on beaches and threatening fish-breeding shallow waters. The affected seafront is known for its delicious seafood and gleaming beaches. Environmentalist Prof Jagath Gunawarnadena told BBC Sinhala that the danger is that these pellets float and eventually break up in the sea, which means the release of micro-plastic fragments that would be detrimental to marine life. The head of Sri Lanka’s Marine Environment and Protection Authority (MEPA) Dharshani Lahandapura, has already termed the as “probably the worst beach pollution in our history”. Thousands of military and security personnel in hazmat suits are cleaning the beaches of plastic waste and other debris from the ship, and the impact on mangroves, lagoons and marine wildlife in the region is also currently being assessed. The jobs of thousands of fishermen are at risk, according to authorities, and the MEPA said a possible oil leak would only add to the devastation. Warnings have also been issued regarding the possibility of Acid rain falling in certain parts of the country.

Ultimately, it is always nature that suffers as a consequence of man-made greed and destruction. It is no wonder that as Sri Lankans brave yet another period of travel restrictions, nature seems to flourish when people are locked up. It is a pity that it takes a lack of human interaction with nature for it to thrive and remain truly safe.

The writer is a lawyer and teacher based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. She writes for the Sri Lanka-based “The Morning” newspaper and tweets @writergirl_11