This archive report was first published on 22 December 2021.
Published on December 22, 2021, the Mauritius oil spill was a devastating environmental disaster that occurred in July 2020 when the MV Wakashio, a Japanese-owned, Panama-flagged carrier, ran aground off the coast of Mauritius.
The ship was carrying 200 tons of diesel and 3,800 tons of fuel oil, and its hull cracked, leaking 1,000 tons of toxic fuel. The spill destroyed the livelihoods of fishermen and tourism workers and threatened biodiversity hotspots, including prominent snorkeling and diving areas.
On December 27, 2021, the captain and first officer of the ship, Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar and Subodha Tilakaratna, pleaded guilty to charges of endangering safe navigation. The charges carry a fine of 50,000 rupees, $1,140, or a maximum prison sentence of two years.
However, since both men were denied bail following their arrests in August 2020, they will be deemed to have served their prison terms and freed after sentencing. The lawyer for the two men, Amira Peeroo, said that pleading guilty would allow them to go back to their families and avoid the time a lengthy criminal trial would take.
Despite the guilty pleas, many Mauritians remain unsatisfied, demanding more disclosures from their government as well as plans for averting future disasters in fragile marine areas. Environmental activist Reuben Pillay said, “These court proceedings did not get to the bottom of things. We still have zero answers.”
