A growing ecological disaster is occurring as oil continues to leak from a grounded bulk carrier ship off the south-east coast of Mauritius. While the event is minor proportionate to the quantity of oil leaked, this event is believed to be one of the most significant oil spills of recent years due to its location near two sanctuaries for rare marine wildlife and its proximity to the Mauritius coastline. Although accidents involving oil spillage has fallen in recent years this event brings into question current practices and whether we need to reconsider how we transport and consume fossil fuels, something capable of immense environmental harm.
On July 25 the Japanese owned, MV Wakashio, ran aground at Pointe d’Esney off the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. It is thought the the bulk carrier, registered in Panama, had over 4,000 tonnes of fuel abroad when it ran aground. At this time, it is estimated at least 1,000 tonnes of oil have leaked into the waters surrounding the nation.
On August 12 3,000 tonnes of oil were pumped out of the ship and transported away, mitigating the amount of environmental damage that could have occurred.
However, it is the location rather than the size of this spill is what is causing greatest concern about its potentially serious environmental impact.
Unlike most other oil spills, this spill took place near two environmentally protected marine ecosystems and the Blue Bay Marine Park reserve which is a wetland of international importance. Mauritius is a biodiversity hotspot with a high concentration of plants and animals unique to the region. The Mauritian marine environment is home to 1,700 species including around 800 types of fish, 17 kinds of marine mammals and two species of turtles, according to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves make Mauritian waters extraordinarily rich in biodiversity.
One of the major concerns has been for the effect of the spill on coral reefs in the lagoon due to the amount of diversity of life found in it. It is estimated that 25% of all fish depend on healthy coral reefs. The toxic hydrocarbons released in spilled oil can cause coral bleaching and lead to corals dying. Furthermore, corals which are once bleached are much more susceptible to further bleaching due to warmer ocean temperatures leading to further loss of coral reefs.
Another major concern is the way oil sticks to animals as it forms a thin film on the surface of the ocean. The floating oil can stick to mammals and birds, eliminating their insulating and water-repelling properties and exposing them to the cold. Additionally, creatures can also be poisoned by swallowing the oil residue.
Oil can also seep into the sediment around the roots of mangrove trees and choke out molluscs, crabs and fish eggs. “Thousands of species around the pristine lagoons are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius’s economy, food security and health,” said Happy Khambule, Greenpeace Africa’s senior climate and energy campaign manager.
This incident has brought about a host of criticisms and could serve as an example to reconsider current practices.
Satellite evidence suggests in July 2020 the vessel had been on a clear collision course with Mauritius for several days. Furthermore, it also suggests it took six days for the government to even send out a tug to try to refloat the ship.
This is despite Mauritius receiving capacity building assistance to prevent oil spills since the 1990’s. Examples of this include US $4m for a Western Indian Ocean Island Oil Spill Contingency Plan in 1998 and US $24m for Western Indian Ocean Marine Highway Development and Coastal and Marine Contamination Prevention Project from 2007-2012.
Arguably the Mauritius government could have been more proactive and prepared.
Furthermore, this incident as well as the recent Beirut tragedy – a deadly explosion of ammonium nitrate in long-term port storage – bring about wider questions about the shipping industry as a whole.
Ships can be registered (flagged) in any country of choice and this has lead to a culture of ‘jurisdiction shopping’ to find country regulators with the least requirements. However recent events have demonstrated the need for stricter and more uniform standards.
In the case of Beirut, having stricter standards could have made it easier to identify the owner of the vessel and cargo, and could have even prevented the harmful cargo from being transported in an unsafe manne. In the case of Mauritius, stricter standards could have stopped the ship being 200 miles off course in Mauritius’ Blue Bay Marine National Park.
With 90% of international goods passing onto a ship at some stage and the shipping industry being one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases (compared to countries, it would be the 6th highest emitter in the world), greater pressure for change is needed on the shipping industry and its current standards. There needs to be clearer and more strenuous standards when companies are registering their vessels to ensure that there is a baseline for safety and regulation.
With a baseline set of standards we can ensure that further environmental and humanitarian disasters stemming from poor shipping practices are prevented and furthermore are used as opportunities to learn and improve rather than just go in vain.
