After the oil spill in Mauritius, concerns for biodiversity
Audio 02:35
Mauritius is facing its most serious ecological disaster in its history.
An oil spill affected the southeast of the island.
AFP
By: Florent Guignard
7 min
Two months after the sinking of a Japanese ship in Mauritius, the first inventory of the consequences of the oil spill on biodiversity.
It will take several months to assess the impact of the 1,000 tonnes of fuel spilled on the coral reef.
On land too, the oil spill could have repercussions, in particular for two species of birds already in danger.
Publicity
The water in the lagoon is petrol blue in color.
Two months after the oil spill that hit Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean,
"
we sometimes find petroleum products on the surface
"
, testifies Vikash Tatayah, director of conservation at the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation, an NGO which works to safeguard the biodiversity in Mauritius.
Joined on Île aux Aigrettes, one of the sites most affected by the sinking of the Japanese ship Wakashio, Vikash Tatayah also describes fuel that
"has become encrusted in the sand"
.
The legendary white sand of Mauritian beaches is sometimes gray, the water sometimes iridescent turquoise.
"
I cried, it hurts my heart
"
When on July 25, more than 1,000 tons of fuel began to pour into the sea and on the coasts, the traumatized population mobilized to save their heritage in a country where tourism and fishing are the mainstays. main resources.
“
The first day, when I arrived, I cried,”
says a Mauritian woman met at the time by RFI correspondent Abdoulaye Earally.
I'm not going to lie to you, it hurts your heart.
So we're here to try to do what we can do.
"
Roll up your sleeves, clean the beaches, mop up the fuel oil.
But beware, warns Vikash Tatayah,
"
intensive cleaning can make the surface sterile, and prevent the recolonization of algae and molluscs
"
.
Good news, sometimes nature can make itself beautiful.
“
There are microbes in nature that will digest the petroleum product with the waves and winds.
But it can sometimes take months, years…
”
Endangered endemic species
It will take time, and it will take time to make a full assessment of the disaster.
For the time being, in the disaster area, fishing is prohibited.
The coral, an animal, has bleached in some places, unable to feed for lack of zooplankton.
Fuel has soiled the sea and disturbed it.
The turbidity of the water prevents light from passing through.
The entire marine ecosystem is in turmoil.
On land too, the oil spill has consequences.
For the mangrove and its vegetation which pushes the feet in the water.
And so also for insects, bats and birds, as Vikash Tatayah explains.
“
Some of our birds, especially the bespectacled bird and the Mauritius cardinal, feed on insects but also on the nectar of flowers.
If the food chain is affected, we think that it will disturb our birds and that reproduction could be affected.
"
The bird with glasses and Cardinal Maurice are two endemic species already in danger - only a few hundred pairs remain.
If they disappear from Mauritius, they disappear from the planet.
The question of the week
“I cry every time I cut an onion. Am I a sensitive boy? "
Maybe ... But we are actually all equal when it comes to the death of an onion.
We all react the same way: in tears.
But it's not our heart that speaks, it's a chemical reaction.
The onion, when attacked, releases an enzyme, to create tear gas in contact with its sulphated components.
Useful for warding off predators.
Japanese researchers are trying to develop a guaranteed tear-free onion by neutralizing the responsible gene.
But since the plant only gives seeds every two years, it takes time to develop.
In the meantime, each time you are asked why you cry, you will answer: it's not your business!
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Mauritius
Biodiversity
Environment
On the same subject
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Oil spill in Mauritius: the owner of the Japanese ship agrees to pay 8 million euros
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