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The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius declared a “state of environmental emergency” late Friday after a Japanese-owned ship that ran aground offshore days ago began spilling tons of fuel. The spill represents a danger for the country of 1.3 million people that relies heavily on tourism and has been hurt by travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth announced the development as satellite images showed a dark slick spreading in the turquoise waters near environmental areas that the government called “very sensitive.”
Mauritius calls for help
Jugnauth earlier in the day said his government was appealing to France for help, saying the spill “represents a danger” for the country of some 1.3 million people that relies heavily on tourism and has been hit hard by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our country doesn’t have the skills and expertise to refloat stranded ships, so I have appealed for help from France and President Emmanuel Macron,” he said.
Bad weather has made it impossible to act, and “I worry what could happen Sunday when the weather deteriorates.”
He has also appealed to the United Nations for assistance. Meanwhile, India is also exploring all avenues to help Mauritius to deal with the oil spill.
Indian government sources told WION, “This is an evolving situation and we are in regular touch with Mauritian authorities. We are ascertaining various requirements and exploring all avenues to offer all possible help for salvage operations and for environment protection concerns.”
Efforts to contain the spill
After the cracks in the hull were detected, a salvage team that had been working on the ship was evacuated, Ramano told reporters Thursday. Some 400 sea booms have been deployed in an effort to contain the spill.
Thousands of students, environmental activists and residents of Mauritius working round the clock trying to reduce the damage to the Indian Ocean Island.
4000 tons of oil leaking right now into the Indian Ocean, threatening the health, lives & safety of people in Mauritius, a country in east Africa. People are using sugar cane leaves to try and contain the oil. This is a catastrophic environmental disaster. pic.twitter.com/RJ4CCBIHg8
— Kristen Clarke (@KristenClarkeJD) August 8, 2020
“People have realised that they need to take things into their hands. We are here to protect our fauna and flora,” environmental activist Ashok Subron told AFP news agency on Sunday.
A police inquiry has been opened into issues such as possible negligence, a government statement said.
Ecological disaster
Environmental group Greenpeace said the spill was to likely to be one of the worst ecological crises Mauritius has ever seen.
“Thousands of species around the pristine lagoons of Blue Bay, Pointe d’Esny and Mahebourg are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius’ economy, food security and health,” Greenpeace said in a statement.
“This is no longer a threat to our environment, it is a full-blown ecological disaster that has affected one of the most environmentally important parts of Mauritius, the Mahebourg Lagoon,” said Sunil Dowarkasing, an environmental consultant and former member of parliament.
Social media reacts to the tragedy
Video posted online showed oily waters lapping at the shore as people murmured and peered at the ship in the distance. Online ship trackers showed the Panama-flagged bulk carrier had been en route from China to Brazil.
People on Twitter shared images of the oil spill to bring global attention to the issue:
⚠️PLEASE SHARE AS WE MUST GET MORE HELP FOR MAURITIUS!⚠️ This oil spill is happening now in Mauritius as their coastline is covered in thick black oil, killing all wildlife & marine life in its path, but they're ill-equipped for the cleanup SO please retweet/let's get them help! pic.twitter.com/KB7L22qoYz
— Karmagawa (@karmagawa) August 9, 2020
⚠️PLEASE RETWEET THIS TO GET MAURITIUS URGENT HELP⚠️ Late Friday, Mauritius declared a state of environmental emergency after a ship that ran aground offshore began spilling its 4,000 tons of fuel. The government is asking France for help so let's make this go viral to get help! pic.twitter.com/xXaHNfMalx
— Karmagawa (@karmagawa) August 8, 2020
Mauritius has declared a state of environmental emergency as oil from a sinking ship has begun to spread. https://t.co/hEcUahMl1c
— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) August 8, 2020
Watching images from the oil spill in Mauritius and feeling absolutely heartbroken. The coast and sea around the island are fragile habitats, home to some of the world's most threatened species, and this may well deliver them a final blow. Humans…😢 https://t.co/H653TTsqfD pic.twitter.com/F7cvvlcdWp
— Sophie Leguil (@SLeguil) August 8, 2020
(With PTI Inputs)
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