Mauritius takes stock of oil spill two months later

More than 1,000 tonnes of oil seeped from a gash in the hull of the MV Wakashio after it struck a reef off Mauritius. NAIROBI: On July 25, a cargo ship loaded with thousands of tonnes of fuel ran aground off Mauritius, leading to the worst environmental disaster ever witnessed in the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago.

"Relatively speaking, it was not a big oil spill," said Sue Ware, a marine scientist from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, a UK research institute.By comparison the ABT Summer, a Liberian-registered tanker, was carrying 260,000 tonnes of crude when it exploded off the coast of Angola in 1991, burning for three days before sinking with its cargo.

Also a short distance away is Ile Aux Aigrettes, a nature reserve home to endemic bird and reptile species. "There is visible pollution, and invisible pollution. Some of the oil doesn't float but dissolves in the sea. The fish eat it, the coral absorbs it, it goes into the ecosystems," environmental expert Sunil Dowarkasing said.

"The work is progressing satisfactorily, but it is a very delicate clean-up operation, we must make sure that it is done in a methodical and systematic way," Environment Minister Kavydass Ramano said.The ship eventually split in two and the bow and hull of the wreck were towed 15km offshore and sunk. The stern remains on the reef and the government expects to announce a contract to remove it within days, Ramano said.

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Britain imposes curbs against second COVID-19 wave, restrictions could last 6 monthsBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that restrictions imposed on businesses and people to stop the spread of COVID-19 could be in ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Australia: Shares rise most in over two months on rate-cut bets[BENGALURU] Australian shares climbed on Wednesday by their most in more than two months as expectations grew that the central bank would cut interest rates in two weeks. Read more at The Business Times.
Source: BusinessTimes - 🏆 15. / 51 Read more »

Man who took 469 upskirt videos in 6-month spree sentenced to 9 months 3 weeks' jailSINGAPORE - An undergraduate who took 469 upskirt and up-shirt videos of 335 women over about six months was sentenced to nine months and three weeks' jail on Wednesday (Sept 23).. Read more at straitstimes.com. Nine months? That's it? Should have been one month for each pic. No cane? He needs psychiatric help.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »

European markets breathe easier after second wave wipeoutsEurope's stock markets clawed back some ground on Tuesday, a day after rising second waves of the coronavirus epidemic caused the region's biggest ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Entry permit renewal for foreign-registered vehicles in Singapore to be reinstated from Oct, after 6-month waiverSINGAPORE - All foreign-registered vehicle permits will have to be extended every two weeks starting next month.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »

VEP for foreign-registered vehicles in Singapore reinstated after Oct 1, following 6-month suspensionSINGAPORE - All foreign-registered vehicle permits will have to be extended every two weeks starting next month.. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: The Straits Times - 🏆 8. / 63 Read more »