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Mauritius in fear of an oil spill, oil spills from a beached boat

2020-08-07T08:37:55.987Z


The ship, beached at the end of July, was carrying 200 tonnes of diesel and 3,800 tonnes of heavy oil. The local government looks to the a


An oil spill threatens Mauritius. The country's authorities announced Thursday that hydrocarbons were flowing from a bulk carrier (a freight transport vessel) stranded on a reef since the end of July on the south-eastern coast of the island, raising fears of a disaster ecological.

The Mauritian Ministry of the Environment said in a statement that it was informed on Thursday of the existence of a "crack in the vessel MV Wakashio" and of a "hydrocarbon leak". He asked the public not to venture onto the beaches and the surrounding lagoons.

A black flow escaping from the bulk carrier stranded on a reef since July 25 could be observed Thursday, as the boat began to sag on the stern and take on water.

"Not sufficiently equipped to deal with this problem"

The boat, owned by a Japanese shipowner and flying the Panamanian flag, was traveling empty, but was carrying 200 tons of diesel and 3,800 tons of heavy oil, according to local press. Its crew was evacuated.

It was stranded on Esny Point, a Ramsar classified wetland, like the nearby Blue Bay Marine Park and also threatened. These two sites were protected by anti-pollution systems, the ministry said.

"We are in a situation of environmental crisis", admitted at a press conference the Mauritian Minister of the Environment, Kavy Ramano. “This is the first time that we have faced such a disaster and we are not sufficiently equipped to deal with this problem,” added the Minister of Fisheries, Sudheer Maudhoo.

Mauritius calls on France for help

The Mauritian government has therefore turned to the French authorities on neighboring Reunion Island for help, he said.

According to the two ministers, all attempts to stabilize the ship have failed due to poor conditions at sea. Efforts to pump the oil have also so far proved unsuccessful.

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Environmentalists fear that the boat will eventually break, which could lead to an even larger oil spill and colossal damage at sea and on the coast.

Very popular for its lagoons and paradisiacal beaches, Mauritius is a hotbed of international tourism.

Source: leparis

All life articles on 2020-08-07

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