Mauritius has arrested the captain of a Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground off the coast, causing an oil spill in one of the most pristine maritime environments in the world.
“We have arrested the captain of the ship and another member of the crew. “After being heard by the court, they were denied bail and are still in custody,” Inspector Siva Coothen told Reuters.
The MV Wakashio struck a coral reef on July 25 and began spilling oil on August 6. The government announced a state of ‘environmental distress’ the next day. The oil spill spread over a large area of endangered corals, fish and other marine life in what some scientists called the country’s least ecological disaster.
Emergency crews managed to remove most of the ship’s remaining oil before splitting it in two on Saturday.
The Mauritius Coast Guard had tried several times to contact the ship to warn that the course was dangerous but received no response, a maritime official with knowledge of the incident asked not to be named.
“The route set up five days before the accident was wrong and the boat navigation system would have to signal this to the crew, and it seems that the crew ignored it. The boat also failed to send out an SOS [when it ran aground], and did not respond to Coast Guard attempts to make contact, “the official said.
Local media have reported that the crew had a birthday party on board. Coothen and the officer declined to comment on the reports, but the official said an investigation into the ship’s black box might reveal if that was true.
Scientists say the full impact of the game is still lacking, but the damage could affect Mauritius and its economy-dependent economy for decades. Removing the ship will likely take months.
.
