Plastic pellets which can be a risk to wildlife have washed up on shore following the collision between a tanker and a container ship in the North Sea, the coastguard has said.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said it was informed by the RNLI on Sunday of a “sheen” in the sea just off The Wash, which has turned out to be “nurdles” – small pellets of plastic resin used in plastics production.
The agency said the pellets are likely to have entered the water at the point of the collision between the Stena Immaculate tanker and the container ship Solong, off the coast of East Yorkshire last Monday.
Chief coastguard Paddy O’Callaghan said on Monday that some of the nurdles have now been identified on the shore.
The nurdles, which are between 1-5mm in size and weigh less than a gram, are not toxic but they can present a risk to wildlife if ingested, the MCA said.
Mr O’Callaghan said: “Yesterday, the RNLI advised the MCA of a sighting in waters just off the Wash of a sheen that we now know to be plastic nurdles.
“This was confirmed by aerial surveillance flights and other assets have subsequently been deployed.
“Some nurdles have now also been identified on the shore.
“Retrieval has started today.
“This is a developing situation and the Transport Secretary continues to be updated regularly.”
