Photo:AP
Emergency declaration over Mauritius oil spill – Operator apologises
By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | AUGUST 9th 2020
With satellite surveillance capturing the imagery of a black stream of oil leaking out of a grounded ship in the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius, an environmental emergency has been declared, as a threat to both wildlife and the local populous.
Dozens of rare plant life and baby turtles were removed from between the island near to the spill, Ile aux Aigrettes, and the mainland. This was done primarily by voluntary assistants and wildlife preservation workers, to help deal with what the local government called a “very sensitive” situation.
However, even with all this assistance, many species are still at risk due to the oil spill and risk endangerment. It is expected that the oil slick will be pushed along the mainland waters by a heavy wind presence, spreading the toxic substance along.
“Thousands of species around the pristine lagoons of Blue Bay, Pointe d’Esny and Mahebourg are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius’ economy, food security and health,” said Happy Khambule , Greenpeace’s climate and energy manager.
The French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed his concern over the danger in place, having tweeted on Saturday: “When biodiversity is in peril, there is urgency to act.”
It was on July 25 when the Japanese bulk carrier, named the MV Wakashio, had struck the reef on the SouthEast coast of the Indian Ocean island and caused the severe leak. According to Mauritius, the ship carried somewhere around 4,000 tonnes of fuel. Criticism has been cast at the local government for the long time it had taken for them to respond to the crisis appropriately.
“That's the big question,” said Jean Hugues Gardenne of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation to The Associated Press news agency. “Why that ship has been sitting for long on that coral reef and nothing being done.”