Just two months after the North Sea nurdle spill in the UK, another devastating incident is now unfolding off the western coast of India in the Kerala region. Articles are reporting millions of plastic pellets washing up along the shore, impacting fisheries and local communities in the area and further afield.
Alarmingly, this isn’t the region’s first encounter with such pollution; just four years ago, the area felt the devastating impact of another nurdle spill after the X-Press Pearl caught fire off the coast of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The growing frequency of these spills is a deeply troubling reminder of just how vulnerable our oceans are to nurdle pollution.
Incident Overview
- Source of pollution: Sinking of the MSC ELSA 3 container ship
- When: Sinking occurred on 25th May 2025, with nurdles first found on the 27th May. Tracking indicates the ship was travelling from Vizhinjam seaport (IND) to Kochi (IND).
- Number of containers lost: The vessel was carrying 640 containers in total, 13 of these were containing hazardous materials including calcium carbide, as well as 84 metric tonnes of diesel and 367 metric tonnes of furnace oil.
- Number of nurdles/containers carrying nurdles lost: Currently the number of containers carrying nurdles is unknown. However, initial reports suggest there are a substantial number of nurdles washing up on beaches. They appear to be washing up loose and in 25kg bags.
- Locations nurdles have been found: So far, nurdles have been reported washing up in the Kerala state, specifically Thiruvananthapuram (found on beaches in Kochu Veli, Thumba, and Vettukad), and in the Tamil Nadu state. Nurdles are expected to wash up in Sri Lanka soon.
On May 25th, the Liberian-flagged cargo ship MSC ELSA 3 sank approximately 38 nautical miles of the coast of Kochi on India’s west coast. The sinking initially sparked concerns of oil and hazardous cargo spilling as a result. Approximately 100 containers were initially reported as having been lost, potentially including those containing hazardous materials. Reports of containers and contents washing up along the Indian coastline followed. On the 27th May plastic pellets were first identified as washing up on beaches in the Thiruvananthapuram region, with the first news report of this on 28th May.
Clean up response
The Kerala state government has launched a clean-up operation. It has been announced that trained volunteers are being deployed every 100 metres along the coastline, guided by drone surveys, to try to mitigate environmental damage from the pellets. The coordinated effort involves police, fire services, and pollution control officers. Fishing has been suspended within a 20-nautical-mile radius of the shipwreck, and rapid response teams led by the Pollution Control Board are on standby to address potential oil reaching the coastlines, with protective measures including oil booms set up at estuaries.
Update 30th May: Relief efforts are now underway for some of the fishing communities affected by the spill. The Kerala government has announced a temporary assistance package for families in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam, which includes Rs 1,000 in cash and 6 kilograms of free rice per household.
Update 31st May: The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), and National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) have launched a 10-day marine survey to study water, sediment, and fish contamination.
Update 16th June: Nurdles have been identified in the Dhanushkodi flamingo sanctuary, raising fears of the risk to wildlife. Nurdles have now been reported to have reached Sri Lanka, washing up along the northern coastline. The State Disaster Management Authority has released new guidance for responding to nurdle pollution along the Kerala coastline.
Environmental impact
Plastic pellet 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 shown to ingest plastic debris, with nurdles found in puffins, turtles, fish, urchins and more. Pellets can also leach, transport and adsorb harmful chemicals and pathogens in the environment, creating a toxic cocktail. As they age, pellets can release microplastic fragments that can enter human and animal tissues disrupting their normal function.
This is particularly concerning for the region, as the Gulf of Mannar is home to rich marine biodiversity and vital coral species, which nurdles in these quantities can easily smother. India’s coastline also hosts several other ecologically important habitats, such as mangroves as well as important fisheries. Plastic pellet pollution poses a significant threat to these ecosystems, endangering wildlife both along the coastline and in surrounding waters. Additionally, the ship sank in the centre of the Malabar Upwelling Region (MUR), which is one of the world’s richest upwelling zones—this is where nutrient-rich waters rise to the surface, driven by ocean currents and Earth's rotation. These zones provide huge amounts of global fish catch, making the region essential for both biodiversity and food security.
What to do if you find nurdles?
Local authorities have urged the public not to touch or pick up the pellets as they may be contaminated with harmful substances. Please contact your local authority and Fidra at
Further information
Relevant news articles:
- Marine Pollution Alert: Nurdles from MSC ELSA 3 Shipwreck Threaten Kerala Coast
- https://www.downtoearth.org.in/pollution/msc-elsa-3-sinking-tiny-plastic-pellets-found-along-thiruvananthapuram-coast-raising-concerns-about-marine-pollution
- Plastic pellets found on Kerala coast after shipwreck pose serious environmental impact, warn experts - The Hindu
- https://www.deccanherald.com/india/kerala/liberian-cargo-ship-capsize-disaster-kerala-government-3562550
- https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2025/May/28/plastic-nurdle-spill-from-kerala-shipwreck-reaches-tamil-nadu-2
Information on managing plastic pellet spills can be found here: https://hub.nurdlehunt.org/solutions/pellet-spills/
Further information and resources on solutions to pellet pollution and policy can be found here: https://hub.nurdlehunt.org/
Learn more about nurdle pollution here: https://www.nurdlehunt.org.uk/