A devastating maritime collision in the North Sea has triggered an environmental crisis, as thousands of nurdles (tiny plastic pellets) spread along the UK coastline.
On the morning of March 10th, the container ship, the Solong, collided with the oil tanker, Stena Immaculate, 13 miles of the Yorkshire coast in the North Sea. A major fire spread on both vessels following the collision resulting in evacuation of the crew and the tragic death of one crew member. As a result of the collision, fuel which was being transported by the Stena Immaculate leaked into the surrounding area. Now, another environmental threat has emerged.
On March 17th, the RNLI reported large quantities of nurdles on the water's surface in an area of coastline south of the incident, known as The Wash. Nurdles have since been reported at various locations along the Lincolnshire and north Norfolk coastline.
Update - It has now been reported that a total 15 containers of plastic pellets were being transported by the containership Solong.
Ongoing clean up response
Authorities are aware of the incident and presence of nurdles in the area, and have requested the public not carry out any clean-up, which may interfere with the ongoing response at this time. West Norfolk Borough council are being supported by the vessels insurers and clean up specialists for collecting the nurdles. Currently, there are two aerial surveillance surveys being done a day to try and track the nurdles, so far they appear to be accumulating in an area called ‘The Wash’ which is one of the biggest and most important wetlands ecosystems in Europe. Monitoring and response will be ongoing and we will continue to provide updates as the situation progresses.
Update - As of 1st April, it has been reported that over 10,000kg of plastic material have been removed from beaches, including plastic pellets, with the clean up response ongoing.
Environmental impact
Nurdle pollution can have major impacts on wildlife health. Nurdles can easily be mistaken for food by wildlife, with ingestion potentially leading to starvation, ulceration, organ damage and even death. Over 220 marine species have been show to ingest plastic debris, with nurdles found in puffins, turtles, fish, urchins and more. Nurdles can leach, transport and adsorb harmful chemicals and pathogens in the environment creating a toxic cocktail, while microplastic fragments released as nurdles age can enter human and animal tissues disrupting their function.
England’s east coast is home to a diverse range of marine and birdlife, with multiple crucial protected areas located along the coastline, with The Wash identified as an internationally important conservation area and home to diverse wildlife. Nurdle pollution posses a major risk to wildlife along this coastline and beyond.
What to do if you find nurdles?
If you find nurdles do not touch or pick up the pellets as they may be contaminated with harmful substances.
Please report any nurdle sightings to the Humber Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre on 0344 382 0580 or email
You can also share your findings with Fidra at
Ending plastic pellet pollution at sea
While it is devastating to see the impacts of this incident, it is not an isolated case; with multiple maritime spills of plastic pellets occurring around the world in recent years, whether due to ship collisions, the loss of containers at sea or mishandling during everyday transportation. Pellets are spilled into the environment daily through chronic losses, and acute losses like in the case of the MV Solong catastrophe. This results in billions of pellets entering the ocean every year, causing detrimental impacts on wildlife and coastal communities. These chronic and acute pellet losses are preventable.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is in the process of developing mandatory measures to regulate their carriage at sea, after having issued, as a first step, voluntary recommendations in 2024 to reduce the risk of pellet loss at sea (MEPC.1-Circ.909).
The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), which addresses environmental issues under the remit of the IMO, will meet for its 83rd session from the 7th-11th of April and could play a crucial role in catalysing the development of the much needed mandatory measures to prevent spills, that many countries support adopting as soon as possible. However, despite the serious impact of maritime pellet spills, especially in light of the recent North Sea incident, progress on the development of IMO mandatory measures is not scheduled to occur. Discussions are not expected to resume until the start of 2026 during the next meeting of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR), leaving every country at risk of spills until mandatory measures are adopted and implemented.
It is imperative that member states work together to reach an agreement on effective mandatory measures to truly reduce the risk associated with the carriage of pellets by sea. These measures must establish mandatory notification processes and, increase transparency when transporting plastic pellets at sea, which would improve their handling and facilitate quicker responses for containment and clean-up in the case of spills. This must be coupled with more stringent packaging requirements, safer stowage of pellets below deck or in sheltered areas, and pollution preparedness with training and clear disaster response protocols.
Falco Martin, Programme Officer, Marine Plastics at Fauna & Flora, who has been following the work unfolding at the IMO, commented, “It is a tragedy that communities and wildlife are once again paying a heavy price with this horrific plastic pellet spill in the North Sea. After Galicia last year, this highlights yet again how urgently mandatory measures are needed to effectively prevent pellet loss at sea, as voluntary recommendations are proven not to be enough. Substantive discussions on pellets are not expected to happen at the next MEPC meeting, delaying progress and leaving so many countries at risk from pellet spills. This is wrong - member states at the IMO should take immediate action and implement stricter regulation now.”
Further information
Information on managing plastic pellet spills can be found here.
Further information and resources on solutions to pellet pollution and policy can be found here.
Learn more about nurdle pollution here.