Plastic spills at sea spark global push for stricter laws, firm action

The battle against plastic pellet pollution has received a significant boost at the ongoing International Maritime Summit in London.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response has agreed on a draft 2025 Action Plan to Address Marine Plastic Litter from Ships. The plan now awaits approval at the end of this week by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83).

Plastic pellet pollution is not just a problem for wealthy nations; it is already affecting communities worldwide. In Mombasa and other coastal towns in Kenya, local fishermen have reported tiny plastic pellets, known as nurdles, floating in the water or washing ashore. Most are unaware of what these pellets are.

These lentil-sized pellets are used to make everyday plastic products. When they spill into the sea, they cause lasting damage.

IMO, the UN body that regulates global shipping, held a high-stakes summit in London last week where delegates from 176 countries, including Kenya, discussed how to tackle plastic pellet pollution.

If approved, the IMO’s 2025 Action Plan will target key sources of marine plastic litter from ships and fishing vessels. It calls for stricter controls to reduce gear and waste loss from fishing vessels and to minimise plastic discharge during shipping operations.

• .

  Keep Reading

• 
  General Ogolla will: Sh150m to wife and children, good luck to relatives
• 
  IMO banks on strict rules to curb ocean plastic pollution

The plan also emphasises education and training. Seafarers will receive specific instruction on waste handling, while ports will be required to improve reception facilities to handle plastic waste more effectively.

The plan prioritises better data and international coordination. Member states will work together to better understand the scale of plastic pollution generated by ships and commit to stronger global cooperation to tackle the problem comprehensively.

This comes in the wake of major incidents, such as the X-Press Pearl disaster in 2021 off Sri Lanka, when a cargo ship caught fire and spilled billions of plastic pellets into the Indian Ocean. The pollution killed marine life and disrupted fishing for months. The economic damage was estimated at over Sh5.2 billion (US$40 million).

Now, the IMO wants stricter rules. They have proposed that pellets be packed more securely and labelled clearly. They want shipping containers carrying pellets to be stowed below deck. Most importantly, they are considering whether to classify plastic pellets as hazardous substances.

If pellets are classified as hazardous, ships would face stricter handling rules. Spills would trigger mandatory reporting and cleanup responses. This could prevent disasters before they reach our shores.

IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez explained the urgency of this issue in interviews, stating, “The urgency of preventing ship-source spills of plastic pellets.” He stressed the importance of finalising and approving provisions and instruments under the IMO to address this issue. He urged delegates to prioritise the finalisation of recommendations for the carriage of plastic pellets by sea in freight containers and draft guidelines for the clean-up of plastic pellets from ship-source spills.

Kenya is not immune. The Indian Ocean currents do not respect borders. A spill off India or Sri Lanka could reach our coastline within weeks.

Kenya has over 1,400 kilometres of coastline. The blue economy, including fisheries and tourism, contributes more than Sh400 billion to the national GDP. Any plastic spill puts that revenue at risk.

Artisanal fishermen in Lamu, Kilifi, and Kwale depend on clean waters. A 2023 study by Moi University found microplastics, including nurdles, in 17 per cent of fish samples from Kenyan waters. This threatens food safety and public health.

Beach tourism, a lifeline for coastal communities, also suffers. Tourists avoid beaches littered with plastic. Nurdles are hard to clean; they blend with sand and persist for decades.

Volunteers are already responding. In 2024, local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), such as Eco World Watamu and Flipflopi organised nurdle hunts along Kenyan beaches. In Diani, one clean-up collected over 3,000 pellets in just two hours. These efforts raise awareness, but cannot keep pace with pollution.

Yet Kenya still lacks a national policy on plastic pellet handling or spill response.

The Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) oversees shipping regulations, but there are no rules on how pellets are transported or what happens when spills occur.

Kenya is a voting member of the IMO. We have a seat at the table in London this week.

Our delegation must push for mandatory rules on plastic pellets. Voluntary guidelines are not enough, said John Omingo, a maritime expert.

“We should support classifying pellets as hazardous. We must also demand that ship operators report spills immediately and face penalties for negligence,” Omingo said.

The government must develop a national spill response plan. The Kenya Ports Authority and Kenya Coast Guard Service should have the equipment and training to respond to pellet spills.

He suggested that we can learn from the EU, which recently adopted rules requiring all pellet handlers to use best practices. The regulation covers ports, shipping companies, and plastics manufacturers.

Beyond international rules, Kenya needs domestic reforms.

The Ministry of Environment should require companies handling plastic pellets, such as manufacturers in Nairobi and Athi River, to install containment systems. Regular inspections and penalties for non-compliance are essential.

He stated that ports, such as Mombasa must track pellet shipments more carefully. Container loading and unloading need stricter oversight.

Data collection is key. “We don’t know how widespread nurdle pollution is in Kenya,” he revealed. A national survey of pellet presence on beaches and in marine species would guide policy and inform the public.

Omingo added that plastic pellet pollution is not just a shipping problem. It’s a public health, food safety, and economic issue.