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Oil spill in Mauritius: the Mauritian community in France shows its solidarity

2020-08-15T15:25:17.255Z


A prize pool has been launched to help protect the island's natural heritage.“ My friends are present on site and I witness the extraordinary actions of the Mauritian people live. Some compatriots have even shaved their heads to help make buoys, ”Gaitree Jankee Paris confides to Le Figaro . This Mauritian, who has lived in Bordeaux for a few years, has launched an online fundraiser to support the island, which has been in the throes of an oil spill for three weeks. Read a...


My friends are present on site and I witness the extraordinary actions of the Mauritian people live. Some compatriots have even shaved their heads to help make buoys, ”Gaitree Jankee Paris confides to Le Figaro . This Mauritian, who has lived in Bordeaux for a few years, has launched an online fundraiser to support the island, which has been in the throes of an oil spill for three weeks.

Read also: Oil spill in Mauritius: a succession of errors at the origin of the disaster

Very affected by the situation, the Mauritian community in France shows its solidarity. Donations from the fund will be donated to Eco-Sud Mauritius, which protects Mauritius' natural heritage. " The organization funds the equipment and materials needed to protect the island, " Gaintree explains. Created 48 hours ago, the kitty has for the moment a modest sum (nearly 200 euros). To respond to the emergency, regular transfers will be made.

On July 25, the bulk carrier MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef in the south-east of Mauritius, at Pointe d'Esny. The boat, owned by a Japanese shipowner and sailing under the Panamanian flag, contained 3,800 tonnes of fuel oil and 200 tonnes of diesel on board. Twelve days after the incident, 800 to 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil had escaped from its gutted blanks in the water, creating a thick oily oil slick. These tons of oil have thus soiled the largest lagoon on the island and in particular reached protected areas with mangrove forests and endangered species. Since then, questions surrounding the circumstances of the accident have multiplied.

On Friday, local authorities announced that fuel oil had started to flow from the boat again. The day before, however, the Mauritian authorities had announced that all the fuel oil contained in the tanks had been pumped out and that only 100 tons remained in the boat, especially in the hold. The state of environmental emergency has been declared by the government.

Mauritians at the front to save their island

By the end of July, thousands of Mauritians had organized themselves to clean up their island by making sausages from sugar cane straw. " The volunteers had no protection and dived into the water to clean up, even if it meant putting themselves in danger to preserve the island's ecosystem ," testifies the Mauritian. It all started "on an artisanal basis ", when the government was slow to send experts.

Solidarity initiatives have multiplied and other volunteers even donated their hair, which is used to make nets and buoys. In detail, the hair, which retains fatty substances, is sorted and gathered in sausages. They capture the hydrocarbons once in the water.

In the days following the disaster, France, Greece and Japan donated pumping equipment and protective clothing.

A population very dependent on tourism

This environmental disaster is in addition to the crisis linked to Covid-19. Very dependent on tourism, the island is heading for a terrible economic disaster if the Lagoon fails to be preserved.

The shore hit by the oil spill is mainly populated by fishermen. The government has announced the establishment of compensation of 800 rupees (17.40 euros) per day to help 450 fishermen in the region. There is no unemployment insurance in Mauritius and social assistance is not very present. When you are not working, you have nothing. On the spot, the urgency will also be to fill the caddies of the households in difficulty ”, explains Gaitree Jankee Paris.

Read also: Oil spill in Mauritius: a succession of errors at the origin of the disaster

Moreover, according to journalists from Mauritius, the Wakashio split in two on the reefs of Pointe d'Esny, this Saturday afternoon, around 3:40 pm. The condition of the MV Wakashio deteriorated overnight and the front part, 25 meters long, detached and the rear part, where the oil tanks are, rests on a sandbank. " Since this morning, the police on the south-east coast were present to prevent volunteers from approaching the beach, " Gaitree tells Figaro .

French Overseas Minister Sébastien Lecornu will visit Mauritius this Sunday in order to " supervise the support system put in place by France to help the Mauritian government to fight against the pollution of its maritime waters ", indicated the ministry in a press release. The responsible minister will also provide an update on “ the progress of pumping operations ”. For his part, the Head of State Emmanuel Macron is expected on site from August 17 to 20.

Source: lefigaro

All business articles on 2020-08-15

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