Global Shipping Giant MSC Under Fire: Devastating Kerala Oil Spill & Environmental Cover-Up EXPOSED!

Author

Abhay Singh | Whalesbook News Team

Detailed Coverage:

Greenpeace South Asia has released a detailed 128-page report accusing Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world's largest container shipping firm, of a decade-long pattern of safety failures and environmental neglect. The report highlights how MSC allegedly deploys older vessels to Asia, Africa, and Latin America, often registered under "flags of convenience" with lax regulations, while its modern fleet operates on prime global routes.

This alleged dual structure, detailed between 2015 and 2025, suggests a strategy to move risks to developing regions while concentrating benefits in wealthier countries. Port records from Asia and Africa reportedly show recurring issues like corrosion and faulty systems on these older ships, indicating systemic neglect.

The findings are starkly illustrated by the sinking of the MSC ELSA 3 off the Kerala coast on May 25, 2025. This 33-year-old vessel, which had a history of safety detentions, spilled oil and approximately 1,400 tonnes of plastic pellets ("nurdles") into the Arabian Sea. The disaster led to a halt in fishing, devastated beaches, and caused estimated losses of Rs 9,531 crore to Kerala. The state is seeking full compensation from MSC, but the company has invoked international conventions to limit its liability.

Beyond the immediate disaster, the report also scrutinizes MSC's end-of-life ship practices, noting the continued sale of vessels to hazardous beaching yards in South Asia, such as Alang, Gujarat. Greenpeace argues this contradicts MSC's public claims of green recycling.

Scientific surveys have revealed severe ecological stress, including oxygen depletion in coastal waters and signs of a marine food web collapse, with potential long-term recovery challenges.

**Impact**: This news has a significant impact on Indian business and the economy, particularly in the coastal regions of Kerala affected by the spill. It raises critical questions about corporate responsibility in global trade, maritime safety regulations, and environmental protection, potentially leading to calls for stricter international enforcement and changes in shipping industry practices. The case also highlights the vulnerability of developing nations to environmental disasters caused by companies prioritizing profits.

**Rating**: 8/10

**Difficult Terms**: * **Container shipping company**: A company that transports goods in standard-sized containers across oceans and land. * **Flags of convenience**: A system where a ship is registered in a country other than its country of ownership or operation, often to benefit from lower taxes and less stringent regulations. * **Nurdles**: Small pre-production plastic pellets that are the raw material for manufacturing plastic products. * **Beaching yards**: Sites, often on beaches, where old ships are deliberately run aground to be dismantled for scrap metal and materials. * **NGO Shipbreaking Platform**: An international coalition of non-governmental organizations working to stop unsafe and polluting shipbreaking. * **Oxygen minimum zone (OMZ)**: An area in the ocean where dissolved oxygen levels are naturally very low. * **Gelatinous plankton**: Plankton that have a jelly-like consistency, such as jellyfish. * **Noctiluca**: A type of bioluminescent plankton that can cause a glowing effect in the sea at night. * **National Green Tribunal (NGT)**: A specialized Indian court established to handle environmental cases and disputes. * **Transnational accountability**: Holding entities accountable for actions that cross national borders, especially in environmental or human rights contexts. * **Biological Diversity Act**: A law aimed at conserving biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of biological resources. * **Water Act**: Refers to the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 in India, which aims to prevent and control water pollution. * **Environment Protection Act**: Refers to the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 in India, a comprehensive law enacted to protect and improve the environment.