Greenpeace India is urging Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to take responsibility following the sinking of the MSC Elsa 3 off Kochi in late May. The company is currently in litigation with Kerala and has not compensated for pollution or economic disruptions along the coast. The MSC Elsa 3, carrying 640 containers, capsized after the crew sent a distress signal, resulting in the loss of approximately 450 tonnes of fuel and various chemicals, including nurdles, plastic pellets that have contaminated local waters.
In response to the incident, the Indian government has banned fishing within 20 nautical miles of the wreck site. Greenpeace reports a decline in public demand for fish due to fears of contamination, impacting local fishing communities, despite some government hardship payments. The NGO also highlights the widespread presence of nurdles along the Kerala coast and even in Sri Lanka, which pose risks to marine life as they are often mistaken for food.
Greenpeace is advocating for legal action against MSC, with three cases underway, including a public-interest suit that has led to the detention of two other MSC vessels in Indian ports. Kerala’s state government has also filed an admiralty suit seeking over $1 billion for cleanup and damages. The MSC Elsa 3, a 28-year-old vessel, had a history of regulatory deficiencies, and the cause of its sinking remains under investigation.
