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Mauritius Declares Emergency As Oil Spill Crisis Worsens

  The prime minister of Mauritius has declared a state of environmental emergency and appealed to France for urgent assistance as oil from a grounded … Continue reading Mauritius Declares Emergency As Oil Spill Crisis Worsens


Bystanders look at MV Wakashio bulk carrier that had run aground and from which oil is leaking near Blue Bay Marine Park in south-east Mauritius on August 6, 2020. – The carrier, belonging to a Japanese company but Panamanian-flagged, ran aground on July 25 and its crew was evacuated safely. The ship was empty at the time but was carrying 200 tonnes of diesel and 3,800 tonnes of bunker fuel, according to the local press. (Photo by Dev Ramkhelawon / L’Express Maurice / AFP) / “The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Dev Ramkhelawon has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Blue Bay Marine Park] instead of [Kigali, Rwanda]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.”
The carrier, belonging to a Japanese company but Panamanian-flagged, ran aground on July 25 and its crew was evacuated safely. The ship was empty at the time but was carrying 200 tonnes of diesel and 3,800 tonnes of bunker fuel, according to the local press. (Photo by Dev Ramkhelawon / L’Express Maurice / AFP) / 

 

The prime minister of Mauritius has declared a state of environmental emergency and appealed to France for urgent assistance as oil from a grounded cargo ship spilled unabated into the island nation’s protected waters.

Rough seas have hampered efforts to stop fuel leaking from the bulk carrier MV Wakashio, which ran aground two weeks ago, and is polluting pristine waters in an ecologically critical marine area off the southeast coast.

“A state of environmental emergency has been declared,” Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth posted on his Twitter account late Friday.

The tanker, belonging to a Japanese company but Panamanian-flagged, was carrying 3,800 tonnes of fuel when it struck a reef at Pointe d’Esny, an internationally-listed conservation site near the turquoise waters of the Blue Bay marine park.

The environment ministry announced this week that oil had begun seeping from the hull, as volunteers rushed to the coast to prepare for the worst.

Soon, oil slicked the coral reefs, lagoons and white-sand shores upon which Mauritius has built its reputation as a green tourism destination. Aerial images showed the scale of the damage, with huge stretches of azure seas stained inky black by the spill.

A spokesman at Mitsui OSK Lines, which operates the vessel owned by another Japanese company, said fuel was being airlifted by helicopter from the stricken bulker to shore but poor weather was complicating matters.

– Crew evacuated –
“We tried to place a containment boom near the ship but it’s not working well due to high waves,” the spokesman told AFP in Tokyo on Saturday. Some of the fuel was in separate tanks and may not be at risk of leaking, he added.

Jugnauth, after touring the disaster site, expressed fears the crisis could worsen with bad weather forecast over the weekend, and made an urgent appeal for help.

“We don’t know what will happen to the boat,” he said.

“The sinking of the Wakashio represents a danger for Mauritius. Our country does not have the skills and expertise to refloat stranded ships, so I have requested the help of France” and its president, Emmanuel Macron.

In a statement Saturday, the French embassy in Mauritius said a military aircraft from the nearby French Indian Ocean island of Reunion would make two rotations over the disaster area with pollution control equipment. Two experts would also be aboard, the statement added.

Twenty crew members were evacuated safely from the ship when it ran aground on July 25.

Ecologists fear the ship could further break up, causing an even greater leak and inflict potentially catastrophic damage on the island nation’s coastline, which forms the backbone of Mauritius’ economy.

Mauritius depends crucially on its seas for food and for tourism, boasting some of the finest coral reefs in the world.

 

-AFP