It has been two weeks since the Wakashio, a freight ship, ran aground in the south of Mauritius. After reassuring the population initially, the authorities announced Thursday, August 6, that fuel was pouring into the sea. Roland and Marianne *, Mauritians, tell of their sadness and their anger at a disaster that hits an already suffocated island by the measures put in place to fight against Covid-19. For them, the sinking of the Wakashio is the straw that broke the camel's back.
Since the coronavirus crisis "we have been living in a golden cage", summarizes Marianne. If Mauritius deplores only 10 deaths from the coronavirus on its territory, the planes only provide essential connections and tourists have deserted the island, while they represent the base of the economy of the small country. "The Seychelles, an archipelago neighboring Mauritius, have reopened," she laments, unhappy with the management of the crisis. For them, the oil spill is one disaster too many.
"Fake news"
On the evening of July 25, a Japanese bulk carrier flying the Panamanian flag ran aground on the reefs of Pointe d'Esny, in the south of the island. “These are the locals who warned the officials who were not aware, says Marianne, and the Prime Minister even declared that there was no leak, that it was fake news. Luckily, the ship's holds were empty, but its fuel is flowing well into the water since the sinking. “It's only now that they react. Help arrived from Reunion, but the authorities prohibited volunteers who tried to contain the fuel from entering the area, ”explains Roland.
If the government was slow to react, the inhabitants of the island, very attached to the natural heritage of Mauritius, mobilized. “My son, who is 35, was in tears this morning. He went to look for straw to prevent the oil spill from spreading ”, Marianne book.
“The Mauritians have all gathered,” she says, “and a major hair collection campaign was organized. They were used to fill large socks because they are supposed to absorb the oil in the sea. The inhabitants then tied the socks together and arranged them for miles around the wreck. "
Johanna Bérenger, member of the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) and daughter of opposition leader Paul Bérenger, also donated a long braid of her hair.
Just like the hummingbird that carries the drop of water to put out the forest fire, I join this citizen effort ....
Gepostet von Joanna Berenger am Donnerstag, 6. August 2020A symbolic gesture but which testifies to the cohesion of the Mauritian people in the face of the disaster.
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Such a great mobilization is explained by the deep link that the Mauritians have with the fauna and flora of the island. “Fortunately, Blue Bay, the protected marine park located in the south of the island, has not yet been affected, thanks to sea currents,” explains Marianne, “but on Île aux Aigrettes, a refuge for wild birds in less than a kilometer from the stranded boat, it's a disaster. "
Sea turtles and mangroves
Every day since the shipwreck, residents have found sea turtles covered in heavy fuel oil. "We already had fewer species present in Mauritius since the development of the island ...", laments Roland, who fears that the oil from the ship will spill into the mangroves, trees whose roots are refuges for the aquatic fauna. "It is an area of Mauritius which is still a little wild, with lagoons and this island of unique birds".
The Mauritian couple is worried about the image that the country returns with its management of the tragedy. "Our tourists, who will return one day I hope, must not say to themselves: We are not going to go there because there is fuel oil everywhere".
For the time being, no information has been given by the Mauritian government concerning the resumption of tourist flights and the opening of the country, where a strange climate prevails.
* First names have been changed
Oil spill on Mauritius: "We make buoys with the hair and feathers of guinea fowl"