Mauritius struggles to contain oil spill polluting its seas

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Port Louis, Mauritius: Police in Mauritius on Sunday prepared to board a grounded ship leaking tonnes of oil into its crystal-clear waters, as clean-up crews confronted a growing ecological disaster on the archipelago's pristine shores. Image Credit: AFP

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The bulk carrier MV Wakashio has been seeping fuel into a protected marine park boasting unspoiled coral reefs, mangrove forests and endangered species, prompting Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth to declare an environmental emergency and appeal for international help. Image Credit: AFP

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Attempts to stabilise the stricken vessel, which ran aground on July 25 but only started leaking oil this week, and pump 4,000 tonnes of fuel from its hold have failed, and local authorities fear rough seas could further rupture the tanker. Image Credit: AP

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Hundreds of volunteers, many smeared head-to-toe in black sludge, are marshalling along the coastline, stringing together miles of makeshift cordons in a desperate attempt to hold back the oily tide. Image Credit: AP

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But already, thick muck has inundated the island nation's unspoiled lagoons, marine habitats and white-sand beaches, causing unprecedented damage to the fragile coastal ecosystem upon which Mauritius and its economy relies. Image Credit: AFP

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"People have realised that they need to take things into their hands. We are here to protect our fauna and flora," said Ashok Subron, an environmental activist at Mahebourg, one of the worst-hit areas. Image Credit: AFP

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Police said Sunday they would execute a search warrant granted by a Mauritius court to board the Wakashio and seize items of interest, including the ship's log book and communication exchanges, as part of its investigation into the accident. Image Credit: AFP

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The ship's captain, a 58-year-old Indian national, will accompany officers on the search, police officials said. Twenty crew members evacuated safely from the Japanese-owned but Panamanian-flagged ship when it ran aground are under surveillance. Image Credit: Reuters

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Prime Minister Jugnauth thanked France for dispatching a naval vessel, military aircraft and technical experts from nearby Reunion, a French Indian Ocean island, to assist with the disaster. Image Credit: Reuters

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He has convened an crisis committee later Sunday, and has expressed concern that forecast bad weather could further complicate efforts to stymie the spill, and cause more structural damage to the vessel. Image Credit: AP

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The opposition has called for the resignation of the country's environment and fisheries ministers, as pressure mounts on the government to explain why more wasn't done to prepare in the two weeks since the ship ran aground. Image Credit: AP

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Mitsui OSK Lines, which operates the vessel owned by another Japanese company, said efforts to place containment booms near the ship had been unsuccessful due to high waves. Helicopters had been shifting some of the 3,800 tonnes of fuel and 2,000 tonnes of diesel to land. Image Credit: Reuters

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Aerial images show the enormous scale of the damage, with huge stretches of azure seas around the marooned cargo ship stained a deep inky black, and the region's fabled lagoons and inlets clouded over. Image Credit: Reuters

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The Wakashio struck a reef at Pointe d'Esny, an ecological jewel fringed by idyllic beaches, colourful reefs, sanctuaries for rare and endemic wildlife, and unique RAMSAR-listed wetlands. Image Credit: Reuters

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Mauritius and its 1.3 million inhabitants depend crucially on its seas for food and for ecotourism, and has fostered a reputation as a conservation success story and a world-class destination for nature lovers. Image Credit: Reuters

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Ecologists fear if the ship further breaks it could inflict potentially catastrophic damage on the island nation's coastline, which forms the backbone of the economy. Image Credit: Reuters

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