The ruling from Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court could have far-reaching consequences for international shipping, warns the company behind the sunken ‘X-Press Pearl’
Singapore-based X-Press Feeders has sharply criticized a ruling by Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court, which orders the company to pay $1 billion in compensation for the environmental disaster linked to the sinking of the ‘X-Press Pearl’ in 2021.
This is reported by Splash247.
The company argues that the ruling disregards fundamental legal principles and that both the ship’s captain and local agents have effectively been convicted before their trials have even concluded. The captain has been subject to a travel ban for over four years and has been unable to work.
– The ruling uses the captain and agents as human collateral to pressure the owners and operators into complying with the demands, say representatives of X-Press Feeders, according to Splash247.
X-Press Feeders states that the company has already paid more than $150 million for salvage operations, plastic cleanup, and compensation to fishermen. At the same time, the company warns that the compensation level could impact both international shipping companies and Sri Lankan imports and exports, urging a solution that balances environmental concerns with economic realism.
The fire on the ‘X-Press Pearl’ broke out after the ship was hit by a nitric acid leak in a container while sailing from Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates. Requests to offload the container were denied in both Qatar and India, and the ship continued to Colombo, where it caught fire and sank on June 2, 2021, just 18 kilometers (nearly 10 nautical miles) from the coast.
“The ruling uses the captain and agents as human collateral to pressure the owners and operators into complying with the demands.”
— Spokesperson for X-Press Feeders
According to a 361-page ruling, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court found that the shipping company and its partners were collectively responsible for the disaster, which led to extensive chemical spills and the world’s largest documented release of plastic pellets.
– The marine pollution resulted in the deaths of 417 turtles, 48 dolphins, and eight whales, and a large number of fish species washed ashore after the contamination, stated the ruling, as reported by TradeWinds.
The court criticized the operator, the shipmaster, and the agent for withholding information about the extent of the damage, preventing authorities from responding in time. The first installment of the compensation amount is $250 million and is due on September 23, but now the company has spoken out against the ruling.
