Mauritius Citizens, Groups Try to Contain Oil Spill to Protect Coastline and Mahebourg Lagoon

Mauritius citizens and groups are trying to contain the recent oil spill and protect the coastline and Mahebourg Lagoon. Thousands of Mauritians, from residents and students to environmental activists, worked non-stop last Sunday to try to reduce the damage of the oil spill on an island in the Indian Ocean when a ship had an unfortunate encounter with a reef.

Due to the accident, roughly a ton of oil from the four tons carried by the Japanese ship spilled into the water. Workers worked to prevent more of the oil from spilling; however, rough seas and high winds last Sunday reportedly caused new cracks on the hull of the ship.

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Current Situation

Pravind Jugnauth, prime minister of Mauritius, issued a national state of emergency while appealing for international assistance. He stated that the oil spill is a danger to Mauritius' 1.3 million citizens, who heavily rely on tourism already hurt by the restrictions on travel from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Satellite images revealed the oil slick was spreading into the waters near wetlands that the government considered very sensitive. Wildlife volunteers and workers transported dozens of baby turtles and rare species of plants from Ile aux Aigrettes, an island situated near the oil spill, to the country's mainland.

According to former parliament member and environmental consultant Sunil Dowarkasing, it has already turned into an ecological disaster which affected Mahebourg Lagoon, among the country's most environmentally critical areas.

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Efforts from the Population and Salvage Teams

Dowarkasing said thousands of Mauritians have tried to rectify as much damage as they can. He told people created floating oil booms to slow the spill's spread to the lagoon and the coast.

These fabric booms have been stuffed with straw and leaves of sugar cane, and are floated by plastic bottles. Empty drums are also used to scoop oil from the shallower areas. College students and Rotary and Lions club members volunteered. According to Dowarkasing, it is a big challenge because the spill is already on the shore. He said, though, that the booms are working in a lot of areas.

The former prime minister said that steady waves and winds spread the oil to the eastern part of their island. An entire incident is an unprecedented event.

Mahebourg has been a protected area for many years. According to Dowarkasing, its reefs have begun to regenerate, but the spill might kill it again.

Environmentalists and citizens asked why nothing was done right away when the accident occurred last July 25. This has been expressed by Mauritian Wildlife Foundation's Jean Hugues Gardenne.

Salvage teams worked for days, but the waves battered the ship relentlessly. Cracks were seen in its hull some days ago, so the team evacuated. Around 400 booms were used to contain the oil, but these weren't enough.

Efforts from the Ship's Owner and Operator

Nagasaki Shipping and Mitsui OSK Lines, shipowner and operator, respectively, have apologized and deployed experts to help in the effort to clean up the oil spill. According to Nagashiki president Kiyoaki Nagashiki, they are acting in an environmentally safe way, by not using emulsifiers or other harmful chemicals.

Mitsui's vice president Akihiko Ono said they are doing their best to avoid further spills and remove the oil. He said they know the impact it has on tourism and that they take it seriously.

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