Volunteers are urging the Port of Tyne to deploy boats to collect plastic pellets, known as nurdles, spilled into the sea after a collision at the port last month. They warn the pellets pose a hazard to wildlife and are calling for a national emergency response.
Collision details
The Wind Ocra ship collided with the berthed container ship BG Orange, causing a dockside crane to collapse. The crane operator was seriously injured and is recovering at home. Containers were ripped open, spilling nurdles into the water within five seconds of the crash.
The pellets have washed up on beaches across the North East, prompting thousands of volunteers to clean them from the coastline. While not toxic, nurdles can harm wildlife if ingested.
Volunteer demands
Olly Armstrong, 46, from North Shields, is leading the volunteer response. He said: "This should be dealt with as a national emergency and there should be boats up this river, given the tools they need, to remove the nurdles from the water before they hit the beach."
Armstrong added: "We expect action now from Port of Tyne and it's got to be in the water. It's a lot quicker to collect them." He described the nurdles as "poison" that will kill wildlife, and called for "brave leadership" from the port.
Other volunteers speak out
Dave Shaw, 76, from Meadow Well, has been collecting nurdles at North Shields Fish Quay. He said: "It's just ridiculous that nobody has been out to collect the nurdles out of the river to stop them coming on the beach. We cleaned most of the beach up and we came back the next day and it was just as bad again."
Patrick Bibby, 59, from Howdon, called it a "national disaster" and said both the Port of Tyne and the Government should be doing better. North Shields Councillor Josephine Mudzingwa also urged more action, saying people are worried about birds and fish.
Port of Tyne response
The Port of Tyne refutes claims it is not treating the situation as an emergency. A spokesperson said: "The port refutes any suggestion that it is not treating the situation as an emergency and our conversations with volunteers have made that clear to them."
The port says it has deployed environmental cleanup specialists Ambipar, who advise that boat movement disperses the pellets, making them harder to collect. They are continuously monitoring and will adjust resources if needed. The port plans to open the river on August 11 for community volunteers to assist.
