//Paradise Island//
2020 doesn’t seem to be letting up with its various eye widening events and the last few weeks has continued to unfold through further disheartening events. On the coast of Africa, the small island of Mauritius sits in the Indian Ocean. A beautiful destination with sandy beaches and wonderful waters. The country also felt impact with the pandemic reaching its shores a few months back but new cases have been minimal in recent weeks after strict lockdowns and restricted entry. According to data, out of 344 cases, 10 developed into fatality and August is yet to yield new cases. National airline Air Mauritius entered voluntary administration as flights were grounded, various parts of its own fleet were put up for sale to raise funds.
//Disastrous Leak//
Troubles have not stopped there unfortunately, when a Japanese owned oil tanker going from China to Brazil experienced a sudden leak. The leak was not one of insignificance either as tonnes of oil have seeped out into the surrounding Indian Ocean. This event has trigged a state of environmental emergency and the visible oil leak has continued to spread to the islands shores, causing destructive damage to marine life and beyond. Satellite images from space can visibly see the oil spill as it continues to flow. Such imagery has been provided as part of the International Space and Major Disasters services. Science and technology are going to once again help to assess and get a wider perspective of the ensuing damage as aid and solutions continue to be pursued.
//Community, Aid and Liability//
The ship known as MV Wakashio has since been reached and pumped of its containing fuel oil. Multiple countries including France have offered assistance during this time to assist with disaster control. Mauritius were rapidly vocal about their incapability to deal with such a disaster. There are numerous videos of the local people doing their best to scoop oil from the shores and even cut off their own hair to produce makeshift barriers. It’s estimated that around 4000 tonnes of fuel has been salvaged from the tanker with a little more remaining on board. It’s a truly sad and unfortunate event that requires further investigation and assertion of potential negligence. The worst may have been avoided but damage has been dealt and continues to leave its mark on rare wildlife, the island’s economy and its people. Nagashiki Shipping have been involved in a number of smaller and perhaps similar accidents. Some may say it’s an unfortunate event and that the company may have passed all clearance checks but perhaps the current standards are simply not good enough as they stand and more needs to be done to prevent, protect and mitigate in the future.
https://disasterscharter.org/web/guest/home
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2020/08/Mauritius_oil_spill
https://www.livescience.com/mauritius-oil-spill-from-space.html