X-Press Feeders, former operator of the fire-stricken container ship X-Press Pearl, has voiced strong objections to a recent ruling by Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ordering an initial payment of $1 billion within a year over the vessel’s 2021 casualty.
In a statement, the company said it was “deeply concerned” about the judgment, particularly its implications for the ship’s Master and local agents. X-Press Feeders argued that the court had effectively deemed them guilty before their trials were complete, despite the agents having no role in operational decision-making.
The vessel’s Master has been stranded in Sri Lanka for over four years under a travel ban, separated from his family and unable to work. According to the company, he has been denied a fair opportunity to defend himself and is being held as “human collateral” to secure compliance from the ship’s owners and operators.
The operator also criticised the judgment for exonerating Sri Lankan authorities, including the Harbour Master and the Director General of Merchant Shipping, who inspected the vessel shortly before it sank but raised no concerns. X-Press Feeders said the court overlooked repeated requests for assistance and the refusal by ports in Qatar, India, and Sri Lanka to offload the hazardous container that later ignited.
While the court acknowledged failures by the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) for not ordering the ship offshore, no liability was assigned to Sri Lankan agencies.
“While we recognise the importance of environmental compensation, it must be fair, equitable, and based on independent scientific assessment,” the company stated. It added that over USD 150 million has already been spent on wreck removal, nurdle clean-up, and compensation to fishermen. X-Press Feeders also warned that the ruling undermines international maritime law and creates “unprecedented risk” for global shipping firms, which could raise Sri Lanka’s import and export costs.
