PORT LOUIS (Reuters) – Fuel plays from a Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on a reef in Mauritius two weeks ago, causing an ecological disaster that endangers corals, fish and other marine life around the island of the Indian Ocean, say officials and environmentalists.
FILE PHOTO: A satellite image shows the bulk carrier MV Wakashio and its oil spill after it sailed off the southeast coast of Mauritius, 7 August 2020. Satellite image? 2020 Maxar Technologies / via REUTERS
The MV Wakashio, owned by the Nagashiki Shipping Company, struck the reef off the southeast coast of Mauritius on July 25.
On Thursday, the government said fuel was leaking from a crack in the hull of the ship and Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth declared a state of environmental distress, and called for international aid.
“The sinking of the #Wakashio is a danger to Mauritius,” Jugnauth said.
Environmental group Greenpeace said the spill was likely to be one of the most horrific ecological crises Mauritius has ever seen.
“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 far-reaching consequences for Mauritius’ economy, food security and health,” Greenpeace said in a statement.
Satellite images released Friday showed a smooth distribution in the turquoise water around the wrecked ship. Some fuel has been washed to the water.
France sent special teams and equipment to help Mauritius deal with the game, said French President Emmanuel Macron.
A French military plane carrying the neighboring island of Reunion, a French overseas territory, carrying pollution control equipment would make two flights over the playground on Saturday. A naval vessel carrying bombs and absorbents would also sail, authorities at Reunion said.
“If biodiversity is at risk, there is an urgent need to act,” Macron said. “You can count on our support.”
Nagashiki Shipping Company said it has tried the
the tanker, but the difficulty was hindered by persistent bad weather.
“We will do our utmost to work with the Mauritius authorities and relevant Japanese organizations to load the oil still in the ship, clean up the spill and remove the ship safely,” Nagashiki said in a statement.
The tanker is 299.5 meters long and 50 meters wide and has a crew of 20, it said. It is flagged in Panama with Okiyo Marine, a subsidiary of Nagashiki Shipping, listed as the owner.
It is based on what the Ministry of the Environment has described as a sensitive zone with the leaking fuel spreading a black flesh in the azure water that endangers the diversity in marine life that attracts tourists from all over the world brought.
Videos posted on social media showed residents near where the ship was ground dipping sticks in the ocean glistening with the black flesh of the spilled oil.
Mauritius, famous for its pristine beaches, is popular with tourists who contributed 63 billion Mauritius rupees ($ 1.6 billion) to the economy last year.
Additional Report by Omar Mohammed in Nairobi, Richard Lough in Paris and Tim Kelly in Tokyo; Edited by Angus MacSwan
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