Eighteen dolphins stranded on the coast of Mauritius on Wednesday, where they died, authorities said. They reject a possible link with the oil spill that hit the same region in early August.
These Electra dolphins, some of whom were in agony when they were found, have been spotted on the beaches of Grand-Sable, in the southeast of this island in the Indian Ocean. A few appeared to have sustained injuries.
Fisheries Minister Sudheer Maudhoo said the bodies of 18 dolphins had been found and autopsied during a press conference. "There was no trace of oil on them or in their respiratory system," he added.
At least 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil escaped
Many residents feared that these deaths were the result of the oil spill caused earlier this month by the grounding a few kilometers south of the bulk carrier MV Wakashio.
This boat struck a reef at Pointe d'Esny on July 25. The wreckage broke in two, three weeks later, after a race against time to pump out the fuel it still contained.
The ship released at least 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil from its flanks, which soiled the coasts - including protected areas home to mangrove forests and endangered species - and the crystal-clear waters that attracted many tourists before the Covid pandemic -19.
Greenpeace calls for an "urgent investigation"
Before the results of the autopsy, Owen Griffiths, an expert from the NGO Mauritius Marine Conservation Society, had estimated that it could be an “unfortunate coincidence”, referring to a similar incident that occurred in 2005.
"Probably they followed a school of fish in the lagoon, lost their bearings and failed to get back to sea, and they sought to reach the sea by passing directly over the coral reef rather than finding the past. Panicked and stressed, they hit the corals, got exhausted and died, ”he said.
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Greenpeace in a statement called for an "urgent investigation" to establish the facts. The Mauritian authorities, assisted by foreign experts, are still trying to assess the impact of the MV Wakashio leak. According to their initial findings, there would be no damage to the seabed and coral reefs.
But the stern of the boat, still stranded, continues to threaten the corals. And oil slicks have reached mangroves, threatening to kill plants in the coming months.
