Mauritius has been thrust into the throes of an environmental crisis after a shipwreck along its shores began leaking oil into the Indian Ocean. Fishing Minister Sudheer Maudhoo worryingly remarked, “This is the first time that we are faced with a catastrophe of this kind and we are insufficiently equipped to handle this problem.”
Accordingly, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, declared a state of environmental emergency, as the leak poses an untold threat to the island nation, which is heavily dependent on tourism. Fuel has already leaked into a protected marine park that is home to coral reefs, mangrove forests, and several endangered species. Greenpeace Africa says that “thousands” of animal species are “at risk of frowning in a sea of pollution”.
Efforts to stabilize the bulk carrier have thus far been unsuccessful due to the rough sea conditions, while attempts to clean up the spill have also failed. The vessel, named MV Wakashio, belongs to a Japanese company called Nagashiki Shipping, and was carrying at least 200 tons of diesel, and 3,800 tons of bunker fuel. It is estimated that 1,000 tons of this oil has already leaked into the sea. While, 500 tons of oil have been safely removed from the ship, 2,500 tons remain aboard the vessel.
Critics are questioning why authorities didn’t secure the ship earlier, as it ran aground a few weeks ago on July 25. In fact, residents in nearby areas had been concerned for days as the ship was tilting more each day, and cracks in the hull were also detected.
Drone images show vast amounts of oil leaking from a bulk carrier off Mauritius after it ran aground in the southeast of the island. Ecologists fear the ship could break up, which would cause an even greater leak and damage the island's coastline https://t.co/eaFgA8Zw2g pic.twitter.com/zUAtNcsDE8
— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 8, 2020
Twenty crew members have been evacuated and the ship’s captain, a 58-year-old Indian national, will hop aboard the ship with police officers to inspect the damage. Given how Mauritius has publicly admitted that it is under-staffed and under-resourced to remedy this situation, both France and Japan have offered their assistance.
Japan is deploying a six-person disaster relief team to help clean up the spill. Its foreign ministry released a statement saying, “We hope that this assistance will contribute to recovery of the environment of Mauritius and prevention of marine pollution.”
Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron has dispatched a military aircraft carrying pollution-control equipment from the neighboring island of Reunion, a French overseas territory.
Thus far, relief efforts have largely consisted of volunteers wading through the water, despite government orders to not “take things into their [own] hands”, covering themselves head to toe in fuel. Meanwhile, the Mauritius government is using small tourist boats, fishing vessels, and oil buoys.