Mauritius oil disaster - 24th August 2020

One of the world’s largest cargo vessels, a Japanese capesize bulk carrier, has been grounded and broken apart in the rocky shallows off the island of Mauritius dumping thousands of tonnes of polluting oil into the lagoon. With its normally turquoise waters already dyed black and brown, experts caution that this maritime catastrophe will have lasting and widespread consequences.

Mauritius lies to the west of Madagascar off the south-east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. Its world-renowned biodiversity and spectacular coral reefs serve its economy as the country's main tourist attractions.

The vessel, MV Wakashio, ran aground near the Blue Bay Marine Park in late July and oil soon began spilling from the wreck’s broken tanks. Satellite images give an impression of the scale of devastation showing the murky slick spread between the Mauritian mainland and the coastal island ‘Ile aux Aigrettes’.

Although a huge clean up operation is already underway, oil spills typically have a devastating impact on the surrounding environment and local ecosystems for generations after they first occur. Clean-ups are also extremely complex undertakings, with more than 90% of the spilled oil proving irrecoverable.

The sensitivity of the location exacerbates the damage this slick will cause as Mauritius, and this area in particular, is home to a plethora of unique flora and fauna. Mauritius’s coral reefs not only make its waters extraordinarily rich in biodiversity but also protect its coastline from storms and erosion. Marine biologists have cautioned that soluble compounds from the spilled fuel include toxic hydrocarbons that bleach and devastate reefs.

Technical advisers answered the Mauritian prime minister’s desperate appeal for urgent international assistance to contain the worsening spill, flocking to the island nation from across the globe. Scores of volunteers have laboured night and day to rescue baby tortoises and rare plants from Ile aux Aigrettes, seeking a safe haven for them on the mainland.

Mauritius has announced its intention to seek damages for the spill, with the vessel’s Japanese owner Nagashiki shipping already pledging to respond to requests for compensation.