Fear seabirds might choke on tiny plastic pellets 'likely' to have come from North Sea crash

A week after the collision in the North Sea between a container carrier and a tanker, thousands of plastic pellets were discovered on the English coast.

A recovery operation for these pellets, measuring between 1 millimetre and 5 millimetres, has started and pollution control specialists have been mobilised, the British Coast Guard announced.

Fear seabirds might choke on tiny plastic pellets 'likely' to have come from North Sea crash

Nurdles are tiny pellets used to make plastic products and while they are not toxic can result in the deaths of animals who eat them either through choking or starvation.

In addition to the evaporated kerosene, after the crash between a cargo ship and a tanker in the North Sea, there is another pollution for the environment: plastic was found in front of and on the Yorkshire coast.

Plastic pellets found on shore following collision between ships in North Sea

The coastguard said the ‘nurdles’ are not toxic, but can be a risk to wildlife if ingested.

Plastic nurdles wash up on shoreline following North Sea vessel collision

Small pellets of plastic resin, known as nurdles, have been sighted on the shoreline following the vessel collision in the North Sea.