Bunches of bananas have washed up on beaches in West Sussex after containers fell from the refrigerated cargo ship Baltic Klipper in the Solent on Saturday. The incident, which occurred between the Isle of Wight and the British mainland, saw 16 containers go overboard, with eight carrying bananas, two plantains, and one avocados. The remaining five were empty.
HM Coastguard initially warned the public to report any finds to the receiver of wreck, a role dating back to pirate times. However, the receiver's office clarified on Monday that because the goods are perishable, they do not need to be declared. Despite this, West Sussex County Council, leading the cleanup, urged people to stay away to allow safe removal of containers and fruit.
The Baltic Klipper had loaded fruit in South America in mid-November, docking in Mexico and the Netherlands before heading to Portsmouth. Some containers broke open, releasing bananas onto beaches. The coastguard used helicopters and planes to search for missing containers, while cordons were set up by the coastguard, fire service, and police.
By Monday evening, 11 containers had washed ashore: seven in Selsey, two at Pagham Harbour, and two at Bognor Regis. A council spokesperson warned that the fruit may be unfit for consumption and urged anyone who took bananas home to discard them immediately. Tesco labels were spotted on some bananas, but the supermarket assured customers of good availability in stores and online.
