"Chip Wreck" off Sussex Coast in Second Edible Food Invasion
In early December, beaches in the county of Sussex on the southern coast of England were carpeted in bananas washed ashore from 16 containers which had broken free in a storm from the reefer ship Baltic Klipper (IMO 9454759) in Southampton Water.
Bananas not only covered some beaches, but were also driven ashore, making driving conditions on some coastal roads slippery.
Bananas washed ashore near Selsey in England (CJRC)
In the traditional battle between coastal dwellers who feel entitle to beachcomb and the Receiver of Wrecks, who thinks otherwise, many locals ignored official advice and took the bananas home to eat, the produce being well-preserved in the cold winter water.
Now the beaches of Sussex are facing another edible food invasion.
Shipping container or what's left of it washed up on #seaford Beach by the martello tower pic.twitter.com/3x9xhMaDyM
— Sussex Traffic Watch (@SussexTW) January 13, 2026
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Seventeen containers came off one ship on January 8 near the Nab Tower off the Isle of Wight during Storm Goretti. Seven empty containers came off another ship off St Catherine’s Point, but most are believed to have sunk. The losses overboard were both reported to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which did not disclose the names of the ships involved.
The foodstuffs coming ashore have included uncooked chipped potatoes, which thickly carpeted the shore near Beachy Head, along with bags of well-preserved onions. Large quantities of tinned condensed milk have also been washed ashore Hundreds of local resident volunteers turned out to help clear the beaches of the edible foodstuffs, but also looked out in particular for plastic bags which could endanger the local seal population.
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