US$1 billion compensation for ship disaster welcomed in Lanka

The disaster caused severe damage to the marine life, dwindling the fish catch, and impoverishing fishing families

- (UCAN)

Fishermen in Sri Lanka have welcomed the country’s top court ordering US$1 billion in compensation for marine pollution caused by a Singapore-flagged cargo ship that caught fire and sank off the island nation’s western coast four years ago.

The court on July 25 ordered the owners, managers, and agents of the ship, MV X-Press Pearl, to pay for the country’s worst maritime ecological disaster, which has devastated thousands of fishermen's livelihoods.

The order follows a lawsuit filed by rights groups and Catholic fishermen led by the Church, seeking compensation for environmental damage and losses to the fishing industry.

Vincent Sebastian, a Catholic fisherman from Negombo, reported that people like him have been experiencing significantly reduced catches since the disaster, making it difficult for them to feed their families and sustain themselves.