A ship that capsized Mauritius was leaking tons of oil into the ocean, the prime minister said, threatening an even greater ecological and economic disaster for the island nation.
More than 1,000 tons of fuel has been soured from bulk carrier MV Wakashio in the azure blue sea off southeast of Mauritius, through coral reefs, white-sand beaches and pristine lagoons that attract tourists from all over the world.
But another 2,500 tonnes remain on board the wrecked ship, which ran aground on a reef on July 25 but began to ooze from a crack in the hull last week.
Experts warn that a further rupture could unleash a spread that would be catastrophic beyond the fragile coastal ecosystem that Mauritius, and its economy, requires.
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Mauritius declares need for oil spill from ground ship (2:18) |
Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said on Sunday that reactionary staff had managed to support the light for now, but were at least reinforced.
“The cracks have grown. The situation is even worse,” he said. “The risk of the boat breaking in half still exists.”
Japan said on Sunday it would send an expert team of six members to help with what Mauritius has declared an unusual environmental emergency.
France also sent a naval fleet, a military aircraft and technical advisers from the nearby Reunion Island after Mauritius applied for international aid.
Thousands of volunteers, many smeared head-to-toe in black mud, lurked along the shore, strings miles of makeshift floating sheds made of straw in a desperate attempt to contain the fat tide.
Mitsui OSK Lines, which owns the ship owned by another Japanese company, promised on Sunday to “make great efforts to resolve the matter”.
“We are very sorry,” said Akihiko Ono, vice president of shipping company, reporters in Tokyo.
But some are worried that the damage has already been done.
Aerial photos show the enormity of the disaster, with enormous streaks of crystal clear seas around the maroon cargo ship glowing a deep ink black.
Thick mud has coated mangrove forests and undamaged indentations up and down the coastline, blaming irreparable damage and undone years of painful conservation work, environmental activists say.
People leaked oil from the ship MV Wakashio that ran and ran oil leak in southeast Mauritius [Daren Mauree/L’Express Maurice/AFP]
‘Too late’
The slick has already begun to drift further up the coast, fanned together by strong winds and currents.
“I think it’s too late. If the ship breaks in two, the situation will be out of control,” Vassen Kauppaymuthoo, an oceanographer and environmental engineer, told AFP.
“We are talking about a major disaster that is progressing and it is getting more and more complicated hour by hour.”
Pressure is mounting on the government to explain why more was not done in the two weeks since the ship ran aground.
The opposition has called for the dismissal of the environment and fisheries ministers, while volunteers have ignored an official order to leave the cleaning operation to local authorities, donating rubber gloves to sift through the sludge.
“Thousands of people are coming together. Nobody is listening to the government anymore,” said Ashok Subron, an environmental activist in Mahebourg, one of the least affected areas.
“People have realized that they have to take matters into their own hands. We are here to protect our fauna and flora.”
Mauritius and its 1.3 million inhabitants are significantly dependent on the sea for ecotourism, having fostered a reputation as a conservation success story and a world-class destination for nature lovers.
The game is a double whammy for tourist operators hoping that foreign tourists could soon return to Mauritius, which currently has no active case of the novel coronavirus.
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