Mauritius climate emergency
In India ocean there is a small island nation named Mauritius, Mauritius declared the environmental emergency on 8 August 2020 as a stranded ship/bunker leaks oil which put the coastal environment on danger.
0ver a large amount of fuel that leaked into the sea from a stranded Japanese-owned bulk carrier named MV Wakashio off the country’s coast. MV Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef off the island on 25 July, and its crew was evacuated. However, the large bulk carrier has since begun leaking tons of fuel into the surrounding waters. The ship was lying at Pointe d’Esny, in an area of wetlands near a marine park. Thousands of animal species were at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution. Mauritius is home to world-renowned coral reefs, and tourism is a crucial part of the nation’s economy.
The oil contains a mixture of hydrocarbons that can impact on the coastal and marine environment. Accidental spills of oil and chemicals into the marine environment have the potential to cause substantial harm to the marine and coastal resources that many in society use and enjoy. Fish, shellfish, and corals may not be exposed immediately but can come into contact with oil if it is mixed into the water column.
Mangroves are the most sensitive shore-line habitat to oil spill effects. They are slow-growing, sensitive to oil, and challenging to clean. They usually grow in low energy environments where oil can persist for years. These areas should receive the highest protection priority during a spill. The impacts on the Mauritius ecosystems need to consider several vulnerable habitats including coral reefs, seagrass bed, mangroves and the water column. Concern over the longer-term implications for human, environmental and food safety also needs to be considered.
The ship owned by a Japanese company but registered in Panama. It was empty when it ran ground, but had some 4000 tonnes of fuel aboard. The ship’s owner said that “due to the bad weather and constant pounding over the past few days, the starboard side bunker tank of the Bessel has been breached and an amount of fuel oil has escaped into the sea.
Mauritius is very close to French overseas territory, Prime Minister of Mauritius appealed to France for help saying ‘The spill “represents a danger” for the country of some 1.3 million people that relies heavily on tourism. “When biodiversity is in peril, there is an urgency to act”, French President said.
The accident has led to outrage and sadness in Mauritius. The pollution emanating from the oil spill will strongly affect the vital economic pillars of the country, particularly eco-tourism and seafood. As a tropical island, Mauritius depends heavily on tourism and sea products for food and mass exports. Tourism constitutes 8% of the Mauritian economy. It provides one in ten jobs, while the seafood industry (fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing) accounts for more than 9% of export earnings and 1.3% of GDP. The spill has happened at a time of particular vulnerability amid the ongoing fragility caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Modelling and mapping of the movement of the oil spill have provided information on the extent and duration of the oil on the coastal communities and marine environment. Knowledge of where the oil has gone informs the clean-up action and will identify areas of high risk, where long term monitoring and mitigation actions will be required.
Threatening biodiversity of oceans and livelihoods of coastal communities, use of oil is a driver of the global climate crisis. The world’s foremost climate scientists have warned that we must urgently and radically minimise the use of oil, gas and coal to avoid the worst impacts of the climate emergency. The climate crisis is an existential threat, and in response to it, there is a movement of millions of people across the world who are taking action. This oil spill is a tragic and devastating reminder that fossil fuels are toxic, and our reliance on them puts both people and the planet at risk. Now is the time to build a better future.
