Damage control of oil spill in Indian Ocean off Mauritius to take decades

TOKYO, Aug 13  — The consequences of the oil spill from Japan’s distressed cargo ship in the Indian Ocean in the vicinity of Mauritius will take decades to be eliminated, Vikash Tatayah, the conservation director of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, said on Thursday.

According to Sputnik news agency, the ship – Wakashio – ran aground on July 26 en route from China to Brazil. Last week, satellite images showed a large dark patch in the water around the damaged ship which was estimated to be 1,000 tonnes of heavy oil.

Tatayah told Japan’s NHK broadcaster that the accident occurred 1.2 miles from a conservation area with endangered birds and rare plants. Many species of fish and crabs died due to the oil spill, the environmental expert said.

Additionally, mangrove wetlands have been damaged, and Tatayah believes that the contaminated soil will affect birds and insects in the medium-to-long term.

The economic consequences of the spill will likely be devastating, as many people in Mauritius rely on fishing and tourism, something that the conservationist described as “two pressures on the local economy” atop the coronavirus-related economic shock, as quoted in the report.

Tatayah suggested that Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, the Japanese company owning the damaged ship, should provide “proper compensation.”

According to the expert, the treatment of all consequences of the accident will likely be stretched “for years to come.”

The government of Mauritius has asked the United Nations to arrange for assistance in treating the spill, providing specialists and equipment. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has vowed to support the efforts. France and Japan sent teams to the accident site, and the cleanup of the oil has already begun.

–BERNAMA