News

Most plastic debris on beaches comes from far-off sources

Published

4 years ago

2023/01/23

Lankan plastic debris found on beaches in the Seychelles

Vast amounts of plastic debris accumulate on beaches across the Seychelles and other small island developing states including Sri Lanka, and an observational analysis (for instance, plastic bottle labels) suggest that much of this waste originates from distant sources and not from the islands themselves.

But until now, the likely sources of this debris have not been quantified, says a new study by the University of Oxford.

“Indonesia is the primary source of land-based plastic debris found on beaches in the Seychelles, with major contributions from India and Sri Lanka,” it said.

The study led by the University of Oxford investigated by developing a high-resolution model that simulated the movement of plastic debris across the world’s oceans. This used input data on ocean currents, waves, and winds, and plastic debris entering the ocean from coastal populations, rivers and fisheries, to predict plastic debris accumulation at 27 sites in the Seychelles and wider western Indian ocean. The results have been published in Marine Pollution Bulletin.

The researchers modelled the likely sources of both land-based and marine types of plastic pollution.

Key findings:

• Indonesia is the primary source of land-based plastic debris found on beaches in the Seychelles, with major contributions from India and Sri Lanka. This was particularly the case for medium-large debris that have a high buoyancy (such as bottle caps, sandals, bottles, and small domestic items).

• Plastic debris arriving from Indonesia would have been at sea for at least 6 months, with some exceeding 2 years.

• Smaller plastic debris, such as millimetre-sized plastic fragments and pellets, tended to originate from East Africa and from within the Seychelles itself. Smaller fragments are less buoyant than larger items, and do not travel as far before sinking.

• The Seychelles also accumulate significant amounts of plastic debris of marine origin from fisheries and shipping lanes, such as discarded or lost fishing gear. The large numbers of bottles beaching at these islands with labels suggesting they come from Malaysia, Thailand and, in particular, China, were probably discarded from ships rather than floating from those countries directly. For some islands, a significantly higher proportion of plastic waste comes from marine sources, rather than land.

• Rates of plastic debris accumulation showed a strong seasonal affect. Plastic debris from both land and marine sources was most likely to land on beaches in the Seychelles at the end of the northwest monsoon, with the highest rates in March and April.

• Plastic debris accumulation may also be amplified by El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD, also known as the Indian Niño) events.

This is the first study to produce a quantitative estimate of the sources of plastic debris for the Seychelles and other remote islands in the western Indian Ocean. Such plastic pollution is a significant environmental threat, both for marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on the ocean for food, tourism, and other economic activities. In addition, plastic debris that drifts from far-off sources increases the risk of spreading invasive species and diseases.

A previous study led by University of Oxford researchers estimated that over 500 tonnes of debris had accumulated at Aldabra Atoll in Seychelles, an ecologically valuable UNESCO World Heritage Site with zero permanent population.

Lead author of the current research, Noam Vogt-Vincent (Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford), said ‘We have combined observational data from across the Seychelles with cutting-edge computer simulations to generate the most comprehensive predictions currently available for marine litter dispersal in the region. This will provide vital information for local management on these islands — many of which are global biodiversity hotspots — and to inform national and international responses.’

According to the researchers, the results illustrate the sheer scale of the plastic pollution challenge facing small island developing states, and makes the need for a global plastic treaty more urgent than ever. This could include, for instance, greater enforcement of policies that forbid the disposal of fishing gear and other plastics at sea. The findings also build on the ever-growing evidence that investing in waste management systems and implementing policies for waste disposal at the main source nations is the number one action to prevent land-based litter arriving at remote island sites.

Knowing when plastic debris accumulation is likely to peak could help to plan mitigation efforts. For instance, the results suggest that beach clean-ups should take place after peak debris accumulation (i.e. May to June) to reduce the likelihood of plastic debris breaking down into smaller fragments and impacting ecosystems.

Co-author Dr April Burt (Seychelles Islands Foundation and University of Oxford) said: ‘These islands are faced with the deeply inequitable situation of bearing the costs of removing waste they were not responsible for generating, contrary to the “polluter pays” principle. Our study has demonstrated that most of the plastic debris accumulating at these remote islands comes from far-off sources, and this should be the first positive step towards accountability and prevention.’

The study also involved researchers from the University of Montpellier; the Institut de Recherche pour le D’eveloppement, MARBEC; and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

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Lanka enters new phase of prosecutions as hurdles clear

Published

6 hours ago

2026/10/4

Thilina Walpola

MONETABRIEF –The prosecution of high-profile individuals from the former Rajapaksa administrations is set to escalate this month with the clearing of legal hurdles and administrative bottlenecks, according to officials involved in the process.

Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s attempt to secure an order preventing his arrest in connection with the Easter Sunday massacre was turned down by the Court of Appeal on Thursday.

An overseas travel ban has been in operation against Rajapaksa since June, but the Criminal Investigations Department made no move to question him. He instead filed a writ application seeking an order preventing his possible arrest.

President of the Court of Appeal Rohantha Abeysuriya noted that the court would not interfere with the investigative process. Any attempt by the court would amount to an obstruction of the investigation.

In an unrelated case, the same court rejected an application by opposition legislator Dilith Jayaweera seeking the quashing of a contempt charge filed against him by the Fort magistrate. The charges against Jayaweera and a few other opposition politicians are expected to be taken up in the coming week.

Jayaweera and other opposition politicians — Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila, Sugeeshwara Bandara, and Asanka Navaratne

— were hauled up over their remarks relating to the arrest of Suresh Sallay, the former head of the State Intelligence Service.

SLPP academic Mahinda Pathirana is also charged over his public comments about Sallay’s arrest in February under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, legislator Namal Rajapaksa, is already in remand custody following his arrest in connection with three cases of bribery and money laundering relating to the 2013 Airbus deal and the Krrish property development in Colombo.

Although Namal has been granted bail in the Airbus money laundering charge, he is in custody until October 13 over the bribery charge relating to the same Airbus transaction. His arrest is under a provision of the Anti-Corruption Act that does not allow a magistrate to grant bail unless under exceptional circumstances.

Meanwhile, his mother Shiranthi Rajapaksa, who had been asked to report to the Financial Crimes Investigations Division on September 24, was a no-show and was yet to return from Singapore.

She had travelled overseas on September 16, and a family spokesman said she was handed the FCID summons at the departure lounge of Bandaranaike International Airport just before she boarded a flight to Singapore.

At the time, the family spokesman said she was due to return in three days.

“We will see greater momentum in the legacy cases in the coming weeks,” an official involved in the prosecutions said.

“We have cleared the legal hurdles to press ahead with more arrests,” he said.

“We are working on a few administrative issues which will be resolved very soon.”

The controversial prosecution of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe is dragging on without him being formally indicted since his arrest in August last year. The Fort magistrate has listed the case again for November 11, when the Attorney-General is expected to report on his decision regarding action against Wickremesinghe.

News

Police warn: Court evaders face property seizure

Published

6 hours ago

2026/10/4

Thilina Walpola

Police have reminded the public that courts have the power to take legal action against individuals who evade arrest or remain in hiding after warrants have been issued against them.

Police said that under Section 60 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act No. 15 of 1979, a court could issue a written proclamation requiring a person evading arrest under a warrant to appear at a specified place and time.

The proclamation must allow the person at least 30 days to appear before court, Police said.

If the person fails to appear even after the proclamation has been issued, the court may take further action under Section 61 of the Act.

This includes issuing an order for the attachment of the movable or immovable property belonging to the person concerned.Police issued the reminder highlighting the legal measures available against persons who deliberately evade arrest and remain in hiding after warrants have been issued.

News

Nearly 20 Iranian tankers stranded off Lanka amid US sanctions

Published

6 hours ago

2026/10/4

Thilina Walpola

Around 20 Iranian oil tankers are reportedly stranded about 15 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s southwestern coast, with several vessels facing shortages of food, fuel and fresh water amid tightening US sanctions and maritime restrictions, The Wall Street Journal reported.

According to the report published on Thursday (1), US officials have in recent weeks urged Sri Lanka to prevent local vessels from supplying essential provisions to the tankers and their crews.

The report, citing Sri Lankan Government documents and companies involved in supplying the vessels, said the US had raised concerns over assistance being provided to the sanctioned tankers.

The situation follows the United States’ decision to reimpose a maritime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in July, which has reportedly left dozens of Iranian and Iran-linked tankers involved in transporting sanctioned oil to China stranded near Asian countries, including Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

Most of the vessels are reportedly empty tankers that had previously transported Iranian crude to Asia, often through ship-to-ship transfers, before preparing to return to Iran for additional cargo.

The WSJ reported that the US Embassy had warned Sri Lanka in August that it was monitoring 19 Iranian tankers off the country’s western coast and had raised the possibility of secondary sanctions against companies providing services to sanctioned vessels.

Sri Lankan authorities have maintained that the vessels are located outside the country’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters and that the Government is not providing them with logistical assistance.

Meanwhile, shipping companies told the WSJ that obtaining approval to supply essential items, including food, drinking water and fuel, as well as repair services, to the Iranian vessels had become increasingly difficult.

Separately, Reuters reported in late August that 27 sanctioned Iran-linked tankers were waiting off Sri Lanka without cargo.

The Trump administration has also imposed additional sanctions on Iran and warned countries and companies trading with Tehran of potential consequences, as Washington seeks to pressure Iran to make concessions amid the ongoing conflict.

Similar concentrations of Iranian-linked tankers have been reported off Malaysia, where waters have historically been used for ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian crude destined mainly for China.