Fishermen feeling the impact of Sri Lanka ship disaster

Sri Lanka’s fishermen are already feeling the impact of an unfolding environmental disaster caused by the slow sinking of a fire-ravaged cargo ship that had been loaded with chemicals

KEPUMGODA, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka's fishermen are already feeling the impact of an unfolding environmental disaster caused by the slow sinking of a fire-ravaged cargo ship that had been loaded with chemicals. Fishing remained banned Friday along about 80 kilometers (50 miles) of coastline, as debris from the Singapore-flagged MV X-Press Pearl — including tons of plastic pellets and burned fiberglass — continued to wash ashore. Authorities were also on guard for the possible leak of oil and chemicals from the ship, which started sinking off the country's main port on Wednesday, a day after a fire that raged on the vessel for 12 days was extinguished. A lone fisherman, Kinson Jayalath, was defying the ban Friday on Kepumgoda beach. He said he was trying to catch food for his family but was growing frustrated by the lack of fish in an area where he said there had been plenty just a week ago.