The MV Wakashio oil spill, Man-made Ecological and Economical Disaster, occurred offshore of Pointe d'Esny, south of Mauritius
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Pointe d'Esny, south of MauritiusMore information:
The MV Wakashio oil spill, Man-made Ecological and Economical Disaster, occurred offshore of Pointe d'Esny, south of Mauritius, close to the Marine Protected Area designated as the Second Wetland of International Importance under the ‘Ramsar Convention’ which is renowned for its remarkable coral garden and is home to more than 1, 000-year old brain coral (Lobophyllia sp.), the largest brain coral in the Indian Ocean, [1]. After the Japanese bulk carrier Wakashio ran aground on a coral reef on 25 July 2020 at around 16:00 UTC.[2] 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 she 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. Two weeks after the incident, the Mauritian government declared the incident a national emergency.MV Wakashio, a large capesize bulk carrier, was built by the Universal Shipbuilding Corporation of Tsu, Japan.[4] She was laid down on 23 September 2004, launched on 9 March 2007, and was delivered on 30 May 2007.[4] She had 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).[4][5] She was powered by a single diesel engine that gave her a service speed of 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h).[4] The ship belonged to Okiyo Maritime Corp., an associate company of Nagashiki Shipping Co. Ltd., [6] and was operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.[7] At the time of her grounding, Wakashio was flying under a Panamanian flag of convenience, despite her Japanese ownership.[5] The ship was sailing without cargo, [8] and departed from Lianyungang, China on 4 July, stopped in Singapore, and was scheduled to reach Tubarão, Brazil on 13 August.[9] A crew of 20 was on board, [7] none of whom were injured.[6] Japan's ClassNK inspection body said in a statement on 11 August that the ship had passed