Disaster in paradise area. On Thursday, the Mauritian authorities announced that oil was flowing from a bulk carrier stranded on a reef since July 25 on the southeast coast of the island, a hotspot for international tourism.
The Mauritian Ministry of the Environment said in a statement that it was informed on Thursday of the existence of a "crack in the vessel MV Wakashio" and of a "hydrocarbon leak". He asked the public not to venture onto the beaches and the surrounding lagoons.
200 tonnes of diesel and 3,800 tonnes of oil
The boat, owned by a Japanese shipowner but flying the Panamanian flag, was traveling empty but was carrying 200 tons of diesel and 3,800 tons of heavy oil, according to local press. Its crew was evacuated.
It was stranded on Esny Point, a Ramsar classified wetland, like the nearby Blue Bay Marine Park and also threatened. These two sites were protected by anti-pollution systems, the ministry said.
"Environmental crisis"
"We are in a situation of environmental crisis", admitted at a press conference the Mauritian Minister of the Environment, Kavy Ramano.
“This is the first time that we have faced such a disaster and we are not sufficiently equipped to deal with this problem,” added Fisheries Minister Sudheer Maudhoo.
Bad conditions at sea
The Mauritian government has therefore turned to the French authorities on neighboring Reunion Island for help, he said. According to the two ministers, all attempts to stabilize the ship have failed due to poor conditions at sea. Efforts to pump the oil have also so far proved unsuccessful.
Environmentalists fear that the boat will eventually break, which could lead to an even larger oil spill and colossal damage at sea and on the coast.
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