The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources says that 17 empty shipping containers have fallen into the sea from a merchant vessel roughly 17 nautical miles west of the Port of Colombo.
The Department is urging fishermen along the western coast to exercise extreme caution.
The containers went overboard near Latitude 06°54' North and Longitude 079°32' East, according to the Department.
Officials say prevailing sea currents could carry the drifting containers towards the coastline stretching from Beruwala to Puttalam, passing through Negombo along the way.
Given the scale of the debris involved, the Department has advised all multi-day and small-scale fishing vessels operating in the affected waters to remain alert to the risk posed by the floating containers.
The Department has also asked members of the public and fishing crews who spot any of the containers to report the sighting immediately, either to its Radio Communication Centre or to the nearest fisheries harbour authorities, so that the debris can be tracked and addressed swiftly.
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