MV Wakashio oil spill

The MV Wakashio oil spill occurred offshore of Pointe d'Esny, south of Mauritius, after the bulk carrier Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef on 25 July 2020 at around 16:00 UTC.[1] The ship began to leak fuel oil in the following weeks, and broke apart in mid August. Although much of the oil on board Wakashio was pumped out before it broke in half, an estimated 1,000 tonnes of oil spilled into the ocean in what was called by some scientists the worst environmental disaster ever in Mauritius.

MV Wakashio oil spill
Locationoffshore of Pointe d'Esny, south of Mauritius
Coordinates20°26′17.23″S 57°44′40.67″E
Date25 July 2020 (25 July 2020)
Cause
CauseGrounding of the MV Wakashio
OperatorMitsui O.S.K. Lines
Spill characteristics
Volume1,000 metric tons
Area27 km2 (10 sq mi)
MV Wakashio oil spill
Boats at Pointe d'Esny before the oil spill
Headquarters of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, in Tokyo

Background

MV Wakashio, a large capesize bulk carrier, was built by the Universal Shipbuilding Corporation of Tsu, Japan.[2] She was laid down on 23 September 2004, launched on 9 March 2007, and was delivered on 30 May 2007.[2] She has a deadweight tonnage of 203,000 tons, a length overall of 299.95 metres (984 ft 1 in), and a beam of 50 metres (164 ft 1 in).[2][3] She is powered by a single diesel engine that gives her a service speed of 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h).[2] The ship belongs to Okiyo Maritime Corp., an associate company of Nagashiki Shipping Co. Ltd.,[4] and is operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.[5] At the time of her grounding, Wakashio was flying under a Panamanian flag of convenience, despite her Japanese ownership.[3] The ship was sailing without cargo,[6] and departed from Lianyungang, China on 4 July, stopped in Singapore, and was scheduled to reach Tubarão, Brazil on 13 August.[7] A crew of 20 was on board,[5] none of whom were injured.[4]

Japan's ClassNK inspection body said in a statement on 11 August that the ship had passed an annual inspection in March. Mitsui OSK said they doubted whether the incident would have a significant effect on their earnings.[8]

Accident

Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef on 25 July, but did not immediately begin leaking oil.[6] Oil began to leak from the ship on 6 August,[6] by which time Mauritius authorities were trying to control the spill and minimize its effects, isolating environmentally sensitive areas of the coast, while waiting for help from foreign countries to pump out an estimated 3,890 tons of oil remaining on board.[9] By 10 August, about 1,000 metric tons of fuel had spilled, with estimates of the remaining oil onboard ranging from 2,500 to 3,000 metric tons.[6][10] High winds and 5 metres (16 ft) waves halted cleanup efforts on 10 August; visible cracks in the hull of the ship led to worries that the ship might "break in two," according to Mauritius' prime minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth.[11] Jugnauth said that 3,000 tons of oil had been pumped out of the ship's fuel reservoirs. Data from Finnish Iceye satellites indicated the spill had increased from 3.3 km2 (1.3 sq mi) on 6 August to 27 km2 (10 sq mi) on 11 August.[12]

According to investigators who conducted interviews with crewmembers, the crew outsourced from Anglo-Eastern Ship Management Ltd. had been engaged in celebrating the birthday of a sailor on board the ship at the time of the grounding, had sailed near shore for a Wi-fi signal, and subsequently failed to respond to communications to Wakashio warning of the errant course.[13] The island's environment minister Kavy Ramano, together with the fisheries minister, told the press that it was the first time that the country faced a catastrophe of this magnitude, and that they were insufficiently equipped to handle the problem.[3]

The grounding happened at an area which is listed under the Ramsar convention on wetlands of international importance and near the marine park of Blue Bay.[3][14] Tourism plays a major role in the economy of Mauritius, accounting for about 63 billion Mauritian rupees (US$1.59 billion) in spending in 2019, and is centered around marine scenery and animals likely to be endangered by the oil spill.[15] Greenpeace stated that "[t]housands of species [...] are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius’ economy, food security and health."[15]

The ship broke up on 15 August when there were still 166 tons of fuel inside. Waves 4.5 metres (15 ft) high hindered cleanup.[16] The ship's captain, Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, 58, an Indian national, was arrested on August 18.[17]

Reactions

Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth declared a "state of environmental emergency" and requested French help on 7 August.[18] "When biodiversity is in peril, there is urgency to act," French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, "France is there. Alongside the people of Mauritius. You can count on our support dear Jugnauth."[19] France sent both military and civilian equipment and personnel from its overseas territory of Réunion.[15]

Local volunteers joined forces to remedy the situation by making cloth barriers stuffed with straw and human hair.[20] Japan sent a six-member crew of specialists to help in the cleanup.[11] On 11 August 2020 Indian Oil Mauritius Ltd (IOML) started to evacuate oil from the breached vessel onto the IOML barge Tresta Star, which had a capacity to hold 1,000 tonnes of oil.[21] India has sent 30 tonnes of technical equipment and material to the country to help contain the oil spill as well as a 10-member team of the Indian Coast Guard specialising in containing oil spills.[22]

Environmental damage

Oceanographer and environmental engineer Vassen Kauppaymuthoo said, "Around a little bit less than 50 percent of this lagoon is covered by environmentally sensitive areas, be it corals, be it seagrass, be it mangroves, be it entire mudflats, sand beaches and dunes, which is huge. Which confirms the sensitivity of this lagoon, in terms of oil spill." Ecotoxicologist Christopher Goodchild from Oklahoma State University said, "With this oil spill it looks like there is infiltration out of the mangroves, so you have the oily substance that can bind to organic matter or dirt and start to settle in and just being able to remove that toxic sediment can be a real challenge."[23] Flakes of the damaged anti-fouling coating on the hull can also poison the marine fauna and flora on the reef and surroundings in a similar fashion to what occurred on the Great Barrier Reef.[24] Reuters quoted unnamed scientists as saying that the spill was likely the worst environmental incident in the history of Mauritius, with effects possibly lingering for decades.[16]

Mauritius requested compensation for the spill from Wakashio owner Nagashiki Shipping, which according to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage is responsible for oil damage. The ruling treaty for the circumstances of the incident is the 1976 Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, which prescribes a maximum payout of 2 billion Japanese yen in the original draft to which Mauritius is a signatory, and 7 billion yen according to a 1996 amendment signed by Japan. Wakashio is insured by the Japanese P&I Club for up to US $1 billion; the agency said it expected to pay at least some portion of the cost of the recovery effort.[25]

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See also

References
  1. "Capesize bulk carrier aground, Indian ocean". FleetMon.com. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  2. "Wakashio (9337119)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  3. "Mauritius facing environmental crisis as shipwreck leaks oil". theguardian.com. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  4. "当社船 座礁及び油濁発生の件" [Matter of agrounding of our ship and occurrence of oil spill]. NAGASHIKI SHIPPING CO., LTD. (in Japanese). Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  5. "Capesize Bulker "Wakashio" Aground off Mauritius". Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  6. "Rough seas are hampering response to Mauritius ship leak; oil spill reaches 1,000 tons". The Washington Post. 9 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  8. "Japanese ship that caused Mauritius oil spill passed annual checks". news.yahoo.com. Reuters. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  9. "Government is taking necessary actions to contain oil spill from MV Wakashio". 7 August 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  10. "A Race Against Time to Stop a Cargo Ship Breaking Up on a Mauritius Coral Reef". The Wall Street Journal. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  11. "Mauritius oil spill: Fears vessel may 'break in two' as cracks appear". news.yahoo.com. BBC. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  12. "Almost all oil removed from wrecked Mauritius ship". BBC News. 12 August 2020.
  13. Chambers, Sam (14 August 2020). "Birthday party and quest for wifi revealed in lead up to Wakashio grounding off Mauritius". Splash 247. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  14. Ship Leaks Oil into the Ocean Near Mauritius, Environmental DISASTER - 6 Aug. / 9 Aug. 2020
  15. "Oil spill threatens ecological disaster as Mauritius declares emergency". news.yahoo.com. Reuters. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  16. Mohammed, Omar. "Japanese ship involved in Mauritius oil spill breaks apart". Reuters. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  17. "Mauritius oil spill: MV Wakashio captain arrested". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  18. Mauritius oil spill: people arrive en masse in bid to limit spread - AFP-10th August 2020
  19. Cara Anna. "Mauritius declares emergency as stranded ship spills fuel". news.yahoo.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
  20. "Mauritius oil spill: Locals scramble to contain environmental damage". news.yahoo.com. BBC. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  21. Mohan, Geeta. "India assists Mauritus in evacuating oil from breached Japanese vessel". India Today. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  22. PTI. "India sends assistance to Mauritius to help deal with oil spill". news.timesofindia.com. TOI. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  23. "Counting the environmental cost of the Mauritius oil spill". news.yahoo.com. Reuters. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  24. "Ship's hull paint killing coral". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
  25. "Explainer: Who pays for Mauritius oil spill and how much?". news.yahoo.com. Reuters. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
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