The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius has declared a “state of emergency” after a ship owned by Japan that ran aground off the coast days ago started playing with tons of fuel.
Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth announced the development late Friday when satellite images showed a dark glass scattered in the turquoise waters near environmental areas that the government called “extremely sensitive”.
Mauritius said the ship was carrying nearly 4,000 tons of fuel and that cracks appeared in its hull.
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Jugnauth said his government had called on France for help, saying the game “represents a danger” to the country of some 1.3 million people who rely heavily on tourism and have been hit hard by the effects of the pandemic of it coronavirus.
“Our country does not have the skills and expertise to charge stranded ships,” he said. Bad weather has made it impossible to act, and “I worry about what might happen on Sunday when the weather gets worse.”
Jugnauth carefully shared a photo of the ship, the MV Wakashio. ‘See rough past the reefs with swells. Ventures in the open sea are not recommended, ‘according to the Mauritius Meteorological Services.
Videos posted online showed oily waters drawing along the shore, and a man spinning a stick across the surface of the water and lifting it, dripping black goo.
The French island of Reunion is the closest neighbor to Mauritius, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says France is Mauritius’ “leading foreign investor” and one of its largest trading partners.
“When biodiversity is at risk, there is an urgency to act,” French said President Emmanuel Macron tweeted Saturday. ‘France is there. Next to the people of Mauritius. You can count on our support, dear Jugnauth. ”
A separate French statement from Reunion said a military transport aircraft would bring pollution control equipment to Mauritius and a naval vessel with additional equipment would sail for the island nation.
“We are in a situation of environmental crisis,” said Mauritius’ Environment Minister Kavy Ramano.
After the cracks in the hull were discovered, a salvage team working on the ship was evacuated, Ramano told reporters Thursday. Some 400 sea trees were deployed in an attempt to contain the spill.
Government statements in recent days said the ship ran aground on July 25 and the National Coast Guard received no emergency call. The owners of the ship were listed as the Japanese companies Okiyo Maritime Corporation and Nagashiki Shipping Co. Ltd.
A police investigation has been opened into issues such as possible negligence, one statement said. Online ship trackers showed that the Panama flag was a bulk carrier en route from China to Brazil.
A statement from Nagashiki Shipping Co. Ltd. said that “due to the bad weather and the constant punching in recent days, the starboard side bunker tank of the ship has broken down and some fuel has escaped into the sea.”
It added: “Nagashiki Shipping takes its environmental responsibilities extremely seriously and will take every effort with partner agencies and contractors to protect the marine environment and prevent further pollution.”
Tons of diesel and oil are now leaking into the water, said environmental group Greenpeace Africa’s climate and energy manager Happy Khambule in a statement.
“Thousands of species around the independent lagoons of Blue Bay, Pointe d’Esny and Mahebourg are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with huge consequences for Mauritius’ economy, food security and health,” Khambule said.
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An environmental protection government released nearly a decade ago said Mauritius had a National Oil Games Plan, but equipment on hand was “adequate to deal with oil storms of less than 10 tons.”
In case of major spills, it said, assistance could be obtained from other Indian Ocean countries or from international oil spill organizations.
