Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has mandated a $1 billion compensation from the owners and operators of the X-Press Pearl container ship, labeling it the nation’s worst marine environmental disaster. The Singapore-flagged vessel caught fire off Colombo on May 20, 2021, while transporting 25 tonnes of nitric acid and more than 1,500 containers of hazardous material. After weeks of firefighting, the ship sank on June 2, resulting in the release of toxic substances and plastic pellets—known as nurdles—into the Indian Ocean, causing significant ecological and economic harm.
The aftermath of the disaster was devastating. It led to the deaths of 417 sea turtles, 48 dolphins, and eight whales, severely disrupting coastal ecosystems and leading to a year-long fishing ban that impacted thousands of Sri Lankan livelihoods. The court’s ruling holds the vessel’s owner, EOS Ro, charterers, and local agent Sea Consortium Lanka liable under the “polluter pays” principle, while instructing the Attorney General to expedite criminal investigations against those involved.
The court also criticized the state for its inaction, noting that former Environment Minister Nalaka Godahewa and the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) failed to take timely preventive measures. This unprecedented incident has been termed “the largest recorded marine plastic spill in the world,” with lasting ecological effects still evident years later.
