Many residents in Mauritius feared that these deaths were the result of the oil spill. Greenpeace is calling for an investigation.
Eighteen dolphins ran aground on Wednesday on the coast of Mauritius, where they died, the authorities announced. Faced with questions, they rejected a possible link with the oil spill that struck the same region in early August.
These Electra dolphins, some of which were dying when they were found, were spotted on the beaches of Grand-Sable, in the southeast of this Indian Ocean island. Some appeared to have suffered injuries.
Fisheries Minister Sudheer Maudhoo said the bodies of 18 dolphins were found and autopsied at a press conference. “There was no trace of oil on them or in their respiratory systems,” he added.
Many inhabitants feared that these deaths were the consequence of the oil spill caused at the beginning of the month by the grounding a few kilometers further south of the bulk carrier MV Wakashio. This boat hit a reef at Pointe d’Esny on July 25. The wreck broke in two, three weeks later, after a race against time to pump the fuel it still contained.
The ship released at least 1,000 tons of fuel oil from its sides, which soiled the coasts – including protected areas with mangrove forests and endangered species – and the crystal-clear waters that attracted many tourists before the coronavirus pandemic.
Greenpeace calls for investigation
Prior to the autopsy results, Owen Griffiths, an expert from the NGO Mauritius Marine Conservation Society, considered that it could be an “unfortunate coincidence”, referring to a similar incident in 2005.
“Probably they followed a school of fish into the lagoon, lost their bearings and failed to return to the sea, and sought to reach the sea bypassing directly over the reef rather than finding the pass. Panicked and stressed, they hit the corals, exhausted themselves, and died,” he said. Greenpeace called in a statement for an “urgent investigation” to establish the facts.
The Mauritian authorities, assisted by foreign experts, are still trying to assess the impact of the MV Wakashio’s escape. According to their first conclusions, there would be no damage to the seabed and coral reefs. But the stern of the boat, still stranded, continues to threaten the corals. And oil slicks have reached mangroves, threatening to kill plants in the coming months.
Source: L’express
