Mauritius oil spill: Crew set to sink ship despite opposition from environmentalists

Despite opposition from environmentalists, salvage crew has begun preparing to sink MV Wakashio, the Japanese ship that ran aground on a reef and spilled tonnes of oil into the blue water off the coast of Mauritius.

The ship leaked 1,000 tonnes of oil into the sea and recently split into two. As per The Guardian reports, the larger part of the ship has already been towed by crews 15 km out to sea and is to be flooded so that it sinks to a depth of over 3,000 metres, the smaller part of the ship remains wedged on the reef.

Read: Mauritius Oil Spill: Captain Of Japanese Ship Charged With 'endangering Safe Navigation'

Damage done may be 'irreversible'

Experts and scientists have not been able to determine the extent of the damage caused by the oil spill but claim that it may be irreversible. The oil that leaked from the ship already appears to have reached certain exceptional zones of marine life such as the Ile aux Aigrettes nature reserve.

A large number of creatures in the idyllic water have been threatened, from the seagrasses blanketing sand in the shallow waters to clownfish residing in coral reefs.

Read: Japanese Relief Team Leaves For Mauritius

Environmentalists have raised objections to government plans because the areas that they plan to sink the ship is where whales give birth and nurse their young, informed Sunil Dowarkasing, an environmental consultant and former member of parliament in Mauritius. The sinking of the ship may also negatively affect the waters as it will ve contaminated by large quantities of heavy metal toxins.

Malian authorities have claimed that the decision where the larger part of the ship will be sunk has been decided after long deliberations with conservationists and other experts, once filled the larger part of the ship may take hours to reach the bottom.

Authorities in Mauritius have also recently arrested the captain of the Japanese ship, MV Wakashio. Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar has been charged with “endangering safe navigation”. The captain is currently in custody and awaits a bail hearing next week.

Read: Head Of Mauritius Marine Conservation Society On Oil Spill

Read: India Sends Chetak Helicopter To Mauritius To Help Contain Oil Spill