Satellite Analysis Shows Oil Spill Leaking Into Protected Marine Park In Mauritius On Day 23 Of Crisis

The latest Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite Analysis conducted on Sunday 16 July 2020 reveal the toxic engine fuel oil from the Wakashio wreck continuing to drain into the UNESCO protected Blue Bay Marine Park. It also showed the 8 square kilometer slick engulfing the UNESCO Ramsar protected Pointe d’Esny Mangrove Forests as well as continuing to surround the Ile aux Aigrettes nature preserve for endangered species.

The site of the spill in Blue Bay Marine Park is now directly over the site of the 1000 year old brain coral that was the largest and oldest in the Indian Ocean, and the centerpiece of Blue Bay Marine Park. It was a heavily protected location that was strictly regulated to keep swimmers, snorklers and divers away from that site.

In recent years, Blue Bay Marine Park and the surrounding area had been experiencing a strong resurgence in coral life, offering hope that Mauritius could become a beacon to the world of how to build back a vibrant coral ecosystem amid global warming caused by the oil and gas industry, such as the toxic heavy fuel oil being used by the Wakashio.

There has been no offers of assistance from any of the major oil companies who produce this category of fuel, nor has the vessel owner of the Wakashio, Japan-based Nagashiki Shipping Co Ltd, offered any explanation of what the risks of this particular type of fuel would be if leaked into the sunny lagoons of Mauritius. Nagashiki Shipping had not yet responded to requests from journalists on what the exact effects are of this oil could be in the previously-clear waters of Mauritius’ coral lagoons that acted as strong protection against coastal erosion on Mauritius’ windswept East Coast.

The Wakashio had been carrying over 1 million gallons of dense ship engine oil since filling its tanks just 12 days prior to plowing straight into the reefs of Mauritius.

Race to save 1000-Year Old Brain Coral

The world’s leading coral scientists have been scrambling to urge local authorities to set up systems to allow the safe capture and preservation of the precious genetic material that could be used one day to try bring the brain coral back to life.

It is not clear what methods or efforts can be taken to clear heavy engine oil for such rare species as brain coral, and none could be seen from imagery taken on the ground.

Some of the world’s leading coral reef scientists in the United States had been developing pioneering research on how to grow back coral reefs, using techniques just developed in the past two years.

As the sun sets on Monday 17 August 2020 on Day 24 of this ecological crisis, questions are also now being asked about the effectiveness of the oil protection booms that were under the supervision and control of the oil containment specialists brought in by Nagashiki Shipping, who are responsible for the containment of the spill.

Silence from Government in Mauritius and around the world

These scientists have been reaching out to the Mauritian Government to offer assistance but no response has been heard in what is now Day 24 of this crisis, creating great frustration among the international scientific community who continue to watch this ecological tragedy unfold before their eyes, and are powerless to help, even though the tools for protection of these fragile ecosystems exist today.

The slow steps taken to protect Mauritius’ rich natural heritage is fast turning an ecological crisis into a major political crisis as outrage followed when journalists from the largest national paper in Mauritius were banned from attending Government press briefings.

So far, there has also been no statement from the Japanese Government about what steps they have been taking to mobilize a huge international effort to safeguard this precious nature.

This is despite Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe staking his international reputation as being a leader in global ocean sustainability by sitting on a powerful committee of active Heads of State, called the High Level Panel on Sustainable Ocean Economy, sponsored by Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, who has also remained silent on the ecological crisis happening in Mauritius.

It appears that despite all the words that the international elites at Davos are used to uttering on ocean sustainability each year amid the snow capped mountains, they appear unwilling to take the actions needed

to safeguard nature as what may appear to be the largest ecological crisis in the Indian Ocean taking place in front of the world’s eyes, making some wonder this could be considered an Ecocide as the world watches passively by.

Citizens of Mauritius have felt abandoned by both the slow and haphazard response of the Government of Mauritius and the inaction by international community to mobilze the best resources available to safeguard this nature.

In the world of a Covid-19 outbreak when every organization on the planet has mastered the art of remote working, citizens of Mauritius are stunned that this sort of infrastructure has not allowed them to access the world’s best scientists who could have helped them prevent or reduce this man-made and avoidable disaster. It appears that Government leaders just can’t seem to do anything right with this crisis as citizens have had to resort to a large self organized effort among citizens and the large international Mauritian diaspora to protect the fragile coastline of Mauritius.

It is no wonder that climate activists such as Greta Thunberg have been so angry with the inaction among Governments around the world to address the climate crisis, harmful pollution and industry self-regulation.

Perhaps emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, a younger generation may start to look for strong leadership elsewhere than the current cohort.