Colombo: X-Press Feeders, the former operator of the ill-fated container ship X-Press Pearl, has expressed deep concern over the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka directing an initial payment of USD 1 billion within a year in connection with the vessel’s casualty.
In a strongly worded statement, the company said its foremost concern lies with the “human cost” of the judgment, which it claims has effectively pronounced the vessel’s Master and local Agents guilty of criminal charges even before their trials are completed. X-Press Feeders argued that the court’s directive to further investigate and prosecute the local Agents was unjust, given their lack of decision-making authority in the ship’s operations.
The vessel’s Master has already been stranded in Sri Lanka for over four years due to a travel ban, separated from his family and unable to resume his career. According to the company, he has been denied the opportunity to defend himself in court, and is being held as “human collateral” to ensure compliance by the ship’s owners and operators.
X-Press Feeders also criticised the judgment for exonerating Sri Lankan authorities, including the Harbour Master and the Director General of Merchant Shipping, who had boarded and inspected the vessel days before it sank but raised no alarm. The company said the court ignored the vessel’s repeated pleas for assistance and the refusal by ports in Qatar, India, and Sri Lanka to offload the container that later caught fire.
The company further noted that despite acknowledging failures by the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) in not ordering the vessel offshore, the court assigned no liability to Sri Lankan authorities.
“Whilst we recognise the need for compensation for environmental damage, we believe it must be fair, equitable, and based on expert scientific assessment,” X-Press Feeders said. The company highlighted that over USD 150 million has already been spent on wreck removal, nurdle clean-up, and compensation to affected fishermen.
Warning of the broader impact, the operator said the ruling disregards international maritime law and sets an “unprecedented level of risk” for global shipping companies, which could ultimately drive up Sri Lanka’s import and export costs.
“For more than 40 years, X-Press Feeders has been a pivotal player in Sri Lankan trade. We urge all parties to adopt rational decision-making that balances environmental rehabilitation with the ongoing viability of trade,” the company added.
