Mauritius Oil Spill: An Environmental Emergency

Photo source: The Guardian

After running aground on a coral reef on 25th July, the MV Wakashio, said to carry approximately 4,000 tonnes of oil has leaked an estimated 1,000 tonnes off the coast of Mauritius. This has led to Mauritius declaring an environmental emergency.

Amidst the bad news, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth has announced that 3,000 out of 4,000 tonnes of fuel has been successfully removed from the ships reservoirs although a small amount remains on board.

Volunteers have gone against Government orders to stay away and have been working together to create fabric sacks stuffed with straw to help absorb the oil whilst others have collected the oil from shallow waters.

The hard work of officials and volunteers has proven successful as the Prime Minister Pravin Jugnauth also announced that 500 tonnes of oil had been removed safely but concerns are continuing to grow as cracks are beginning to appear in the cargo ship.

Mauritius is an island nation found in the Indian Ocean of the South-East Coast of Africa. It is home to 1.3 million inhabitants as well as some of the rarest flora and fauna in the world, boasting 1,700 different species with around 800 types of fish and kilometres of coral reefs. Due to their sandy white beaches and diverse ecology Mauritius welcomed 1,399,408 tourists in 2019 who contributed the equivalent of $1.6 billion to their economy; demonstrating their dependency on the sea and the ecotourism it provides.

MV Wakashio is a cargo ship that was headed to Brazil from China when the ship ran aground on the South-East of Mauritius in a known sanctuary for rare wildlife called Point d’Esny with Mahebourg being one of the worst affected coastal villages.

As according to the principle of polluter-pays in International Environmental Law, Mauritius are pursuing compensation from Mitsui OSK Lines for the damage caused. They have also received international aid as France has sent a ‘naval ship, military aircraft and technical advisers’ whilst Japan and the UN have sent experts to help in the effort to manage and contain the spill.

Impact

Greenpeace has stated that the spill may be the worst ecological crisis that Mauritius has ever seen. This sentiment is supported by the concern over toxic hydrocarbons which are often released in oil spills. Said toxins cause coral bleaching which in turn impacts marine life as up to 25% of fish are dependent on coral reefs.

Concerns also exist over the threat to human health as it can impact local communities through the contamination of crops and food sources. A study of local Ecuadorian Amazonian people found that oil spills could lead to respiratory and liver damage, decreased immunity and increased cancer risk.

Due to Mauritius being an Island Nation they are particularly at risk of being impacted by the oil spill as it derives 1.5% of its GDP from its fishing. Moreover, it has set back the Mauritian Government’s plan to reform their fishing and agricultural sectors which began January 2020.

Lastly, the impact of the oil spill is likely to expand further than the localised area as Mauritius is responsible for the production of 3.7% of the Indian Ocean Commission’s fishery production.

Key Legal Notes

• Article 25 UN Declaration of Human Rights: Right to Health

“The right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services”

• International Environmental Law (IEL)

IEL is a sub-category of Public International Law that has been developed to try and manage pollution and the reduction of natural resources through sustainable development.

For further information on existing international law on marine oil pollution, liability and compensation schemes please see: https://www.intechopen.com/books/sustainable-development-authoritative-and-leading-edge-content-for-environmental-management/oil-pollution-and-international-marine-environmental-law#fn1

• UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine sources

The goal is to reduce overfishing, marine pollution and ocean acidification by 2030 in response to the continuous deterioration of seas and oceans.

• International Charter Space and Major Disasters

As a response to the spill the charter has been activated which allows rescue and aid workers to access satellite data in the event of a disaster. Imagery from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission has been used to create a preliminary assessment as frequent visits over the same area provides a better understanding in the changes in the water.

Tying it all together!

It is evident that the oil spill can cause serious health problems for those who come into contact with the oil either through breathing it in, being in constant contact with it or ingesting it through foods such as fish. The impact on the health of the locals can also be linked to an impact on their human rights such as the right to health and the right to work to attain adequate standard of living.

It is clear that the oil spill will have an international impact as demonstrated by the response of both France, Japan and the UN. Not only will the oil spill impact Mauritian fisheries but also the Indian Ocean Commission’s fishery production. Lastly, oil spills contribute to water and air pollution which will have an adverse effect on climate change which is has become a global priority to solve.