7 months ago
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Mop up operations are on the go along South Africa's eastern coastline between Gqeberha and nearby north-eastern towns after thousands of pharmaceutical bottles recently washed ashore.
The South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) confirmed it was working to identify the vessel that was carrying the consignment of bottles.
Samsa said it was "aware of the container that washed ashore on the east coast near Port St Johns last week".
"In addition, Samsa has been informed of pharmaceutical bottles containing pills that have been washing ashore in the Port Alfred, Kenton, Cannon Rocks, and Boknes areas since September 9 2024.
“In recent weeks there have been several incidents involving the loss of containers at sea, including those involving the MV Benjamin Franklin, the MV CMA CGM Belem, MV Maersk Stepnica, MV Rio Grande Express, MSC Antonia and MV Ultra Galaxy, which suffered a cargo shift, was abandoned and eventually ran aground off the west coast.
“The incidents highlight the risks posed by severe weather conditions and the challenges of responding to coastal shipping emergencies. Samsa has been actively involved in response efforts to ensure minimal environmental impact.
“The loss of containers at sea poses potential risks to navigation and the environment, and efforts are underway to monitor and address any hazards that may arise. ”
In addition to tracking the ship, Samsa said it was keeping an eye on the coastline "in collaboration with local authorities to track further containers or goods that might wash ashore".
Samsa confirmed the owners of vessels were cooperating with it and have undertaken to carry out clean-up operations "should any contamination or further cargo loss occur".
Companies and organisations also confirmed clean-up operations on Wednesday along the affected coastline.
These include Xtreme Projects and Barnacles restaurant, according to ward 40 councillor Jason Grobbelaar.
"We welcome you to collect refuse bags to participate in this important effort. Together, we can make a difference, one bag at a time," he said in a post shared on Facebook.
Samsa said it would work through incident management systems to identify, analyse and safely dispose of the products.
To report any sightings of lost containers, members of the public can contact 021-938-3300 with the position, container number and colour of the containers observed.
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