Mauritius is known as a wondrous island, one that everybody wants to visit and revisit for their holidays to come, but now the island is in trouble.
Probably the worst possible thing that could happen to the popular tourist destination happened. An oil spill occurred, leaving the once crystal-clear waters surrounding the island pitch black. It occurred due to an oil spill from a ship, which leaked tons of oil into the ocean. Although the impact thereof is not clear yet, experts fear that there will be an even bigger environmental crisis to attend to once they make light of how much of the Indian Ocean has been damaged. It is predicted that much of the biodiversity is affected or already died.
A Mass Oil Spill Affecting More Than Just the Fish
The ship that caused the oil spill was MV Wakashio, a Japanese bulk carrier that has been sailing under a Panama flag. The carrier caused the accident after crashing into the coral reef just off the island on the 25th of July, according to the operator of the vessel, Nagashiki Shipping Co. The accident occurred in the evening as a result of bad weather that caused the ship to breach and leak oil into the water surrounding the island.
Reviewing the damage caused, Agence France-Presse has estimated 1,000 tonnes of oil to have leaked into the sea, while an additional 2,500 tonnes remain onboard. Even though the damage isn’t clear yet, thousands of species, including plants, have already been affected. This oil spill is recognized as one of the worst ecological crises to be seen affecting small island nations. Apart from the rich biodiversity affected, the oil spill also affects the island’s economy, as the ocean is its primary food resource. It will also affect tourism massively once international borders open for travel again.
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