The Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius has declared a “state of environmental emergency” on Friday(August 7,2020) after a Japanese-owned ship that ran aground offshore began breaking up, spilling oil days ago.
According to local media reports and environment campaigners, the wrecked ship started breaking up at Pointe d’Esny on the east if the Island nation in late July.
Approx tonnes of oil has been salvaged from the ship, but there is still 2,500 tonnes remaining on board.
Th
the staellite images of the leak show thick, stciky oils coating the water and the ground.
The operator of the ship has reportedly apologised for sparking the “environmental emergency”. Mitsui OSK lines, which owns the wrecked ship, has assured to do “everything in its power” to sustain the disaster in the Indian Ocean, where at least 1,000 tonnes of oil is estimated to have leaked, causing a threat to water life.
“We apologise profusely and deeply for the great trouble we have caused,” kihiko Ono, executive vice president of Mitsui OSK Lines, told a press conference in Tokyo.
Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnath announced the emergency after satellite images showed the leaked oil spreading in the urquoise waters. He also said that his government has appealed to France for assiatance as the spill “represents a danger’ for the country of 1.3 million people which heavily depends upon tourism and remain one of the hardest hit countries amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our country doesn’t have the skills and expertise to refloat stranded ships, so I have appealed for help from France,” the PM said.
Happy Khambule, Greenpeace Africa senior climate and energy campaign manager, said that the bulk carrier was leaking “tonnes of diesel and oil into the ocean,” and pushing the area’s wildlife into danger.
“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,” Khambule said.
Meanwhile, France Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron has assured support in response to the Mauritius’ leader’s, saying teams and equipment have already been deployed in the island.
