The waters in England have become quite unusual.
A series of shipping mishaps have led to unexpected treasures washing up on the shores. In a remarkable event, a beach in East Sussex recently transformed into a landscape of food after uncooked French fries and onions appeared on the sand. This unique situation arose after two vessels lost their cargo at sea in January. Furthermore, back in December, West Sussex’s coast was overtaken by a deluge of bananas due to a separate shipping incident.
Earlier this month, two ships lost a total of 24 containers at sea, driven by the strong winds from Storm Goretti. The coast guard confirmed that the containers contained nonhazardous materials. While many sunk, several made their way to popular spots like Selsey, Rustington, Rottingdean, and Beachy Head.
In Eastbourne, the sudden appearance of onions last Wednesday caught the attention of resident Joel Bonnici, who shared details with CNN. This past weekend, the beaches became practically covered in thousands of uncooked fries. “In some areas, the chips piled up to two-and-a-half feet deep,” Bonnici reported to BBC.
Local residents sprang into action, working to remove the plastic bags that had held the onions. This waste poses a significant environmental threat, as marine wildlife can mistakenly ingest it. The removal of plastic waste became a community priority, with numerous volunteers stepping up to help.
The environmental group Plastic Free Eastbourne called for public support in the cleanup efforts. In a recent update on Facebook, the organization noted that more bags of onions and fries continue to arrive with the tide. “After each tide, additional bags keep washing ashore. Please collect bags, plastic, bottle tops, fishing gear, and dispose of them in the bins provided by @Eastbourne council. These will be collected daily by their hardworking team.”
In a related incident in December, 16 refrigerated shipping containers from the Baltic Klipper fell off the Isle of Wight, an island off England’s southern coast. These containers—primarily filled with bananas—later turned up on the shores of West Sussex. Authorities advised the public not to consume the bananas, as they may not have been safe to eat. Furthermore, plastic debris washed ashore, creating additional environmental concerns.
The West Sussex County Council urged the public to steer clear of the beaches to allow crews to safely manage the cleanup of both the fruit and the containers. In late December, the council also cautioned swimmers on Boxing Day to remain vigilant, as metal fragments might still be floating in the water.
The Baltic Klipper was transporting fruit from South America and had previously docked in Mexico and the Netherlands before heading towards Portsmouth. The containers bore Tesco labels, indicating the fruit was intended for U.K. supermarkets.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch, currently investigating the incident, has indicated that rough seas and strong winds contributed to the loss. Additionally, initial findings suggest that the containers were not adequately secured. The agency noted, “Thirteen of the shipping containers have now washed ashore on the south coast at Selsey, Bognor Regis, and Pagham Harbour, resulting in food and plastic insulation being deposited on the beach.”
The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, recognized in Parliament that the cleanup initiative was led purely by local volunteers and commended their remarkable efforts.
