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Indian Ocean Island News

03 Mar 2022

Russian Billionaire's Yacht Stuck in Hamburg Shipyard

© Olaf Gedanitz / Adobe Stock

A luxury yacht linked to Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who faces EU sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is sitting in a shipyard in the German port of Hamburg and local authorities said there were no plans to deliver it to its owner.Hamburg authorities denied that they had seized the more-than-500-foot (150 meter) Dilbar superyacht, which boasts a 25-meter swimming pool and is worth nearly $600 million. Forbes had reported on Wednesday that it had been undergoing…

03 Mar 2022

Russian Troops Enter Strategic Ukrainian Port of Kherson

Kherson / Image Credit: ronedya/AdobeStock

Russian troops were in the center of the Ukrainian port of Kherson on Thursday after a day of conflicting claims over whether Moscow had captured a major urban center for the first time in its eight-day invasion.Russia's defense ministry said it had captured Kherson on Wednesday but an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy responded that Ukrainian forces continued to defend the Black Sea port of about 250,000 people."We are a people who broke the enemy's plans in a week," Zelenskiy said in a video address.

20 Jan 2022

Wakashio Wreck Removal Completed

(Photo; bMC Group)

Technical operations to remove the wreck of the Wakashio bulk carrier that ran aground and broke up off Mauritius wrapped up this week as salvors recovered final sections of ship debris that were lying up to 500 meters away from the site of the stern section.On July 25, 2020, the 300-meter Wakashio struck a reef near Pointe d'Esny off the Indian Ocean island's east coast, triggering an ecological disaster and prompting the Mauritian government to declare a state of emergency.

28 Dec 2021

Wakashio Captain and First Officer Sentenced

(Photo: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio)

Two officers from a bulk carrier that ran aground and broke apart atop a coral reef off Mauritius have been sentenced for endangering safe navigation.Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, captain of the Japanese-owned Wakashio, and the ship's first officer Hitihanillage Subhoda Janendra Tilakaratna pleaded guilty under the 2007 Merchant shipping act by a court in Port Louis. The two men, having both been held since August 2020, were sentenced to 20 months in prison.Nandeshwar, who admitted to drinking alcohol during an onboard birthday party prior to the July 2020 grounding…

11 Mar 2021

Chinese Fishing Vessel Refloated and Detained in Mauritius

The Chinese-flagged trawler Lurong Yuan Yu has been refloated and detained after striking a reef off the coast of Mauritius. (Photo: Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority)

A Chinese fishing vessel that ran aground and spilled oil off Mauritius has been refloated and detained, local officials said on Thursday. The Lurong Yuan Yu struck a reef facing Pointe-aux-Sables near Port-Louis on Sunday evening in poor weather conditions. A minor oil spill was contained, and the vessel's crew was evacuated by helicopter without reported injuries.Mauritian Minister for the Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Sudheer Maudhoo, said, “Mauritius’ coastal waters are some of our most important natural resources…

18 Dec 2020

Wakashio Owner: Mauritius Disaster Caused by Lack of Safety Awareness

Credit: ohim/AdobeStock

Japan's Nagashiki Shipping said on Friday the grounding of one of its large bulk carriers that caused an ecological disaster in Mauritius was due to a lack of safety awareness and a failure to follow rules as it pledged better training and oversight.The findings were assumptions based on interviews with crew members, the company said.A bulk carrier owned by Nagashiki and chartered by Mitsui OSK ran aground on a reef in Mauritius in July and began leaking oil, causing an ecological disaster in the pristine seas around the Indian Ocean island.

05 Nov 2020

Mauritius Oil Spill Clean-up to be Completed by January, Wakashio Owner Says

Credit: Ohrim/AdobeStock

The clean-up of a massive oil spill in August from a vessel off Mauritius will likely be mostly completed by January, the bulk carrier's owner, Japan's Nagashiki Shipping, said on Thursday.Of the roughly 1,000 tonnes that spilled from the Panamanian-flagged MV Wakashio, all of the oil that had been floating in the ocean had been recovered, Nagashiki Shipping said in a statement.Work to remove the oil along approximately 30 km (18.6 miles) of coastline was proceeding smoothly and would likely be completed by January…

18 Sep 2020

Japan Sending Team to Mauritius to Investigate Wakashio Grounding

Wakashio - Credit: ohrim

Japan said on Friday it will send a five-person team to Mauritius to investigate the grounding of a Japanese-owned ship off the country's coast that led to an environmental crisis.A bulk carrier owned by Japan's Nagashiki Shipping and chartered by Mitsui OSK ran aground on a reef off Mauritius on July 25 and later began leaking oil into the pristine waters around the Indian Ocean island.The Japanese government said in a statement that it would send a team of five people to Mauritius on Sept.

11 Sep 2020

Sri Lanka Working to Stop Fuel Leak from Fire-hit Oil Tanker

Credit: Sri Lanka Navy

A salvage team is still trying to plug a fuel leak from the fire-stricken New Diamond oil supertanker, Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Indika de Silva said on Friday.The tanker, which is carrying the about 2 million barrels of oil, caught fire on Sept. 3 and is currently 45 nautical miles (83 km), off Sri Lanka's east coast.The fire has been extinguished but the New Diamond has left two long trails of fuel oil after the Navy towed it out to sea.Authorities want to avoid damage to the…

11 Sep 2020

MOL to Spend $9.4 Mln on Mauritius Oil Spill Clean-up

© ohrim / Adobe Stock

Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd said on Friday it would spend about 1 billion yen ($9.42 million) on measures to help Mauritius, including the clean-up of the island's mangrove forests and contribution to an environmental recovery fund.A bulk carrier owned by Japan's Nagashiki Shipping and chartered by Mitsui OSK ran aground on a reef in Mauritius on July 25 and later began leaking oil, causing a marine ecological disaster around the Indian Ocean island."The owner of the ship takes primary legal responsibility…

10 Sep 2020

Sri Lanka: Fire-hit Tanker Towed Further Offshore as Wind Picks Up

Credit: Sri Lanka Navy

The Sri Lankan navy has towed a fire-stricken supertanker further out to sea to keep it off the coast of the Indian Ocean island after the wind picked up strength and changed direction, a spokesman said on Thursday.The tanker, loaded with 2 million barrels oil, was 50 nautical miles (95 km) from the east coast and moving in a northerly direction, the navy spokesman, Indika de Silva, said. Earlier, it had been headed southwest.The stricken vessel has raised fears of an environmental disaster…

01 Sep 2020

Two Mauritians Killed in Collision Near Site of Japanese Ship Oil Spill

Wakashio (file photo) - Credit: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio

Two crew members from a tugboat involved in cleaning up an oil spill off Mauritius were killed late on Monday when their vessel collided with a barge in bad weather, a local lawmaker said.Four other members of the crew were rescued by helicopter and two were still missing, Mahend Gungerpersad, a member of parliament for the opposition Labour Party, told Reuters on Tuesday."This incident is going to add to the prevailing anger," he said, referring to weekend protests over the handling…

24 Aug 2020

Wakashio Bow Section Scuttled off Mauritius

(Photo: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio)

The bow section of the stricken bulk carrier Wakashio has been scuttled Monday after the Japanese-owned bulk carrier ran aground, spilled oil and broke apart atop a coral reef off Mauritius.Scuttling efforts commenced last week but progressed slowly due to rough sea conditions, authorities said. The front section of the ship is no longer visible as of 3:30 p.m. local time on Monday after salvors cut holes into the bulkheads of several cargo hatches to accelerate the sinking process…

21 Aug 2020

Mauritius Begins Wakashio Scuttling Operations

(Photo: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio)

Mauritius said on Thursday it had started to scuttle the Japanese-owned bulk carrier that ran aground off its shores and spilled oil over pristine waters and fragile coral reefs. The MV Wakashio hit a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on July 25 and began spilling oil on August 6, prompting the government to announce a state of environmental emergency.Two of the ship's officers were arrested on Tuesday on charges of endangering safe navigation.The government's National Crisis Committee said in a statement the exercise had started at around 1200 GMT."The ...

21 Aug 2020

Wakashio Bulk Carrier Deviated from Shipping Lane before Mauritius Impact

Image Credit: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio

The Japanese-owned bulk carrier that ran aground off Mauritius and spilled oil over pristine waters and fragile coral reefs diverted more than 100 kilometers from a regular shipping lane, data from a maritime analysis firm showed.The MV Wakashio, owned by Nagashiki Shipping and chartered by Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd, struck a coral reef on Mauritius's southeast coast on July 25 and later began leaking oil. Two of the ship's officers have since been arrested on charges of endangering…

19 Aug 2020

Mauritius to Scuttle Stricken Bulk Carrier Wakashio

(Photo: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio)

Mauritius said on Wednesday it planned to scuttle the Japanese-owned bulk carrier that ran aground off its shores and spilled oil over pristine waters and fragile coral reefs.Earlier on Wednesday Nagashiki Shipping, owner of the MV Wakashio, apologized for the incident. Two of the ship's officers were arrested overnight on charges of endangering safe navigation.The MV Wakashio struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on July 25 and began spilling oil on August 6, prompting…

19 Aug 2020

Wakashio Spill Highlights Importance of Adopting Latest International Legal Instruments

(Satellite image ©2020 Maxar Technologies)

The ongoing oil pollution incident from the grounded 203,000 DWT bulk carrier MV Wakashio is threatening an ecological catastrophe around the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, endangering corals, fish and other marine life already under threat from climate change (IPCC 2018).In addition, it risks bringing devastating consequences for the economy, food security, health and tourism industry. Tourism in Mauritius - a popular destination for its pristine beaches - reportedly contributed about $1.6 billion to its economy during the last year…

19 Aug 2020

Wakashio Owner Apologizes, Says it Supports Crew after Arrests over Mauritius Oil Spill

Image credit: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio

Japan's Nagashiki Shipping, the owner of a bulk carrier that ran aground in Mauritius, causing an oil spill in one of the world's most pristine environments, said Wednesday it awaited judicial decisions after two of the ship's officers were arrested.Nagashiki issued a statement on Wednesday after the arrest overnight in Mauritius of the captain and of the bulk carrier, MV Wakashio, and another of the ship's officers on charges of endangering safe navigation. It did not provide…

15 Aug 2020

Grounded Bulk Carrier Wakashio Breaks Apart off Mauritius

(Photo: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio)

A Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on a reef in Mauritius last month threatening a marine ecological disaster around the Indian Ocean island has broken apart, authorities said on Saturday.The condition of the MV Wakashio was worsening early on Saturday and it split by the afternoon, the Mauritius National Crisis Committee said.“At around 4:30 p.m., a major detachment of the vessel’s forward section was observed,” it said in a statement. “On the basis of the experts’ advice…

17 Aug 2020

India Sends Team to Mauritius to Tackle Wakashio Oil Spill

(Photo: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio)

India has sent technical equipment and a team of specialists to Mauritius to help local authorities deal with an environmental crisis after an oil spill from a Japanese ship, a government official said on Sunday.The Japanese bulk carrier Wakashio struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island nation on July 25, spilling about 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and triggering a state of “environmental emergency”.The carrier split on Saturday, and the oil spill spread over a vast area of endangered corals…

18 Aug 2020

Mauritius Arrests Captain of the Stricken Wakashio

(Photo: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio)

Mauritius has arrested the captain of a Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground off its coast, causing a devastating oil spill in one of the world's most pristine maritime environments, police said on Tuesday.The MV Wakashio struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean island on July 25 and began spilling oil on August 6, prompting the government to announce a state of environmental emergency.Mauritius' National Crisis Committee said two companies, International Tankers Owners Pollution Federation Ltd and Le Floch Depollution…

18 Aug 2020

Op/Ed: Government Response Should be Investigated After Wakashio Spill

(Satellite image ©2020 Maxar Technologies)

The stranding of the MV Wakashio is one of the biggest environmental disasters in the history of the western Indian Ocean. While the full scale of the disaster is not yet known, the 1,000 tons of oil and diesel that leaked close to one of the greatest marine treasures of Mauritius threatens to destroy this precious habitat. Recovery will be long and the disaster will occupy Mauritius for years to come.Questions now arise: could the accident and the spill have been prevented? Was the country prepared?

19 Aug 2020

Wakashio Bow Towed to Deeper Waters

(Photo: Mobilisation Nationale Wakashio)

The bow section of the stricken bulk carrier Wakashio has been towed to deeper waters eight nautical miles off Mauritius after the grounded vessel broke apart atop a coral reef near Pointe d'Esny off the Indian Ocean island's east coast. The Japanese-owned Wakashio struck the reef on July 25 and began spilling oil on August 6, triggering the country's worst ecological disaster and prompting the government to declare a state of environmental emergency.About 1,000 metric tons of fuel oil spilled from the cracked hull of the 300-meter…