(3 minutes read)
- A Mauritius court sentenced the captain and first mate of the MW Wakashio, involved in the grounding of the cargo ship in 2020 that   caused the worst oil spill on the coast of Mauritius, to 20 months in prison
- Both defendants pleaded guilty and apologised
- The captain was an Indian citizen and his first mate a Sri Lankan
A  Mauritius court sentenced the captain and first mate of the MW Wakashio, involved in the grounding of the cargo ship in 2020 that   caused the worst oil spill on the coast of Mauritius, to 20 months in prison .Both defendants pleaded guilty and apologised. The captain was an Indian citizen and his first mate a Sri Lankan.
The Japanese bulk carrier ran aground on July 25, 2020 on a coral reef southeast of Mauritius. As reported by www.trendsnafrica.com earlier, the wrecked ship  released more than 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil into the sea waters casing environmental issues, though most of the spilled oil was pumped out and to some extent sanitized the affected part of the coral reef. This had caused great concern not only amongst the inhabitants of the Indian Ocean island but also environmentalists across the world. There were protests in Mauritius alleging that the government was inept in handling the situation.
The ill -fated vessel was on the way to Brazil from Singapore with 3,800 tonnes of fuel oil and 200 tonnes of diesel on board. The oil spill was the worst marine pollution in the history of the country. Mauritius depends on its waters for food security and eco-tourism.
