Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
MSC Zoe
MSC Zoe Photo: kees torn / Wikimedia Commons
Nature
MSC
MSC Zoe
Pollution
plastic
Rijkswaterstaat
Waddenacademie
Wadden islands
Terschelling
Schiermonnikoog
Ameland
Friesland
Groningen
Vleiland
Bert Wassink
Cora van Nieuwenhuizen
Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
shipping
container
Cargo Ship
Thursday, January 10, 2019 - 10:45
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Consequences of plastic from overboard containers on animal life investigated

Dutch public works department Rijkswaterstaat is launching an investigation into what consequences small plastic particles that ended up in the Wadden sea after 291 containers fell off a ship in the North Sea last week will have for animals in the area. The investigation will be done in cooperation with scientific institute Waddenacademie in Leeuwarden. The results will also show which measures can be taken so that the Wadden Sea is better protected, NU.nl reports.

The cargo of the overboard containers consisted partly of polystyrene and so-called HDPE granules, a raw material for the plastic industry. These plastics are too small to be cleaned up properly. They also break down very slowly, so will remain in the environment for a long time. There are concerns that birds and other animals may see the plastic as food.

The mayors of the Wadden Islands sent a letter to the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, demanding that container transport at sea be made safer. They want better supervision and enforcement on the loading and lashing of the sea containers. They also want containers to be equipped with a chip and GPS marker, so that they can more easily be tracked down if they go overboard. Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen of Infrastructure and Water Management will visit Terschelling on Thursday. The island's mayor, Bert Wassink, will hand her the letter.

It was initially reported that 281 containers fell off the MSC Zoe in the North Sea last week. But on Wednesday shipping company MSC announced that it was actually 291. According to MSC, 21 containers completely washed ashore. Around 220 containers were located at the bottom of the North Sea. Some have been recovered, but others are still on the sea bed.

Items in the containers ended up on the beaches of islands Terschelling, Vleiland, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog, on mainland Groningen and Friesland, and in the North Sea and Wadden Sea. Cleaning teams collected a total of 1.22 million kilograms of waste at these locations in the past week. 

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Man harasses 13-year-old girl at basketball court
  • Witnesses sought in mistaken identity assassination
  • Gov't won't pay damages in poison egg scandal, court rules
  • Vitamin D's effect on Covid-19 still unclear, Health Council sais
  • Coronavirus average hits new five-week high
  • Torture chamber suspects were planning at least 7 murders: Prosecutor

Top Stories

  • Coronavirus average hits new five-week high
  • Explosion at Covid test center in Noord-Holland town
  • Dutch Health Min: All who want Covid vaccination can get first shot by July
  • Hairdressers open again as lockdown measures relax
  • Weekly figures show 26% rise in 1st Covid vaccinations, 52% rise in 2nd doses
  • Dutch Covid hospitalizations up for third day with further increase expected

© 2012-2021 NLTimes.nl, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact