Mauritius sounds alarm as grounded bulk carrier leaks oil

People look at MV Wakashio bulk carrier that had run aground and from which oil is leaking near Blue bay Marine Park in southeast Mauritius on August 6, 2020. The carrier, belonging to a Japanese company but Panamanian-flagged, ran aground on July 25 and its crew was evacuated safely.
The ship was empty at the time but was carrying 200 tonnes of diesel and 3,800 tonnes of bunker fuel, according to the local press. (Dev Ramkhelawon / L'Express Maurice / AFP)

(AFP) - Mauritius on Thursday announced that oil was leaking from a bulk carrier that had run aground in the southeast of the island, sparking fears among green campaigners of an environmental disaster.

"The ministry has been informed... that there is a breach in the vessel MV Wakashio and there is a leakage of oil," the environment ministry said in a statement.

"The public in general, including boat operators and fishers, are requested not to venture on the beach and in the lagoons of Blue Bay, Pointe d’Esny and Mahebourg."

The carrier, belonging to a Japanese company but Panamanian-flagged, ran aground on July 25 and its crew was evacuated safely.

The ship was empty at the time but was carrying 200 tonnes of diesel and 3,800 tonnes of bunker fuel, according to the local press.

Shipping websites say the Wakashio was built in 2007, with gross tonnage of 101,000 tonnes and deadweight tonnage of 203,000 tonnes, and a length of 299.95 metres (984 feet).

The grounding happened at Pointe d'Esny, which is listed under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, and near the marine park of Blue Bay.

Anti-pollution systems have been sent to the two sites, the ministry said, adding that the government was asking the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion for assistance.

"We are in an environmental crisis situation," Environment Minister Kavy Ramano told a press conference.

"This is the first time that we are faced with a catastrophe of this kind, and we are insufficiently equipped to handle this problem," said Fishing Minister Sudheer Maudhoo.

The ministers said that all attempts to stabilise the ship had failed because of rough seas, and efforts to pump out the oil had also failed.

Ecologists fear the ship could break up, which would cause an even greater leak and inflict potentially catastrophic damage on the island's coastline.

The country depends crucially on its seas for food and for tourism, boasting some of the finest coral reefs in the world.

© Agence France-Presse