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A28 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 8 auguSt 2020
Mauritius declares emergency as stranded ship spills fuel
By CARA ANNA aground July 25 and the
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — National Coast Guard re-
The Indian Ocean island of ceived no distress call. The
Mauritius declared a "state ship's owners were listed as
of environmental emer- the Japanese companies
gency" late Friday after a Okiyo Maritime Corpora-
Japanese-owned ship that tion and Nagashiki Ship-
ran aground offshore days ping Co. Ltd.
ago began spilling tons of A police inquiry has been
fuel. opened into issues such as
Prime Minister Pravind Jug- possible negligence, a gov-
nauth announced the de- ernment statement said.
velopment as satellite im- Tons of diesel and oil are
ages showed a dark slick now leaking into the wa-
spreading in the turquoise ter, environmental group
waters near environmental Greenpeace Africa's cli-
areas that the government mate and energy manager
called "very sensitive." Happy Khambule said in a
Mauritius has said the ship statement.
was carrying nearly 4,000 "Thousands of species
tons of fuel and cracks around the pristine la-
have appeared in its hull. goons of Blue Bay, Pointe
Jugnauth earlier in the day d'Esny and Mahebourg
said his government was are at risk of drowning in a
appealing to France for sea of pollution, with dire
help, saying the spill "rep- consequences for Mauri-
resents a danger" for the In this satellite image provided by 2020 Maxar Technologies on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, an aerial tius' economy, food secu-
country of some 1.3 million view of the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of rity and health," Khambule
people that relies heavily Mauritius. said.
on tourism and has been Associated Press A government environ-
been hit hard by the ef- mental outlook released
fects of the coronavirus Jugnauth shared a pho- The French island of Re- the leaking ship "very sensi- nearly a decade ago said
pandemic. to of the vessel, the MV union is the closest neighbor tive." Mauritius had a National Oil
"Our country doesn't have Wakashio, tilted precari- to Mauritius, and France's After the cracks in the hull Spill Contingency Plan but
the skills and expertise to ously. Foreign Ministry says France were detected, a salvage equipment on hand was
refloat stranded ships, so Video posted online is Mauritius's "leading for- team that had been work- "adequate to deal with oil
I have appealed for help showed oily waters lapping eign investor" and one of its ing on the ship was evacu- spills of less than 10 metric
from France and Presi- at the shore as people mur- largest trading partners. ated, Ramano told report- tonnes."
dent Emmanuel Macron," mured and peered at the "We are in a situation of en- ers Thursday. Some 400 In case of major spills, it
he said. Bad weather has ship in the distance. Online vironmental crisis," the en- sea booms have been de- said, assistance could be
made it impossible to act, ship trackers showed the vironment minister of Mau- ployed in an effort to con- obtained from other Indian
and "I worry what could Panama-flagged bulk car- ritius, Kavy Ramano, said, tain the spill. Ocean countries or from in-
happen Sunday when the rier had been en route from calling the Blue Bay Marine Government statements ternational oil spill response
weather deteriorates." China to Brazil. Park and other areas near this week said the ship ran organizations.q
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon may be at 14 year high
cerns that President Jair on more detailed satellite non-governmental groups.
Bolsonaro has failed to rein images and records more "This is not because of gov-
in destruction of the world's of the deforestation, will be ernment incompetence in
largest tropical rainforest. released by yearend. combating devastation; it
The Brazilian Amazon lost Both are administered has been happening be-
9,205 square kilometers by Brazil's space institute, cause the Bolsonaro ad-
(3,554 square miles) of veg- which tabulates annual de- ministration's agenda is to
etation in the 12 months forestation starting with Au- actively promote devasta-
ending in July, according gust, when the dry season tion," the statement added.
to data from the country's starts and farmers and log- "This is not incompetence;
space agency. That was gers traditionally start using it's a design."
largely due to a surge of fires to clear land. The president's office re-
fires in August and Septem- "If the variation between ferred a request for com-
ber last year. Deter and Prodes figures ment to the office of Vice
The overall loss was 34% remains at the historical President Hamilton Mourão,
greater than the prior average, we could have who is coordinating some
In this Nov. 29, 2019 file photo, cargo trucks turn off the Trans-
Amazon highway onto route BR-163, built to bend nature to 12-month period. about 13,000 square kilo- of the efforts against defor-
man's will in Campo Verde, near Itaituba, Para state, Brazil. The data was produced meters of deforestation, the estation in the Amazon, but
Associated Press by Brazil's Deter monitor- highest rate since 2006 and it had not yet replied.
ing system, which provides three times more than the Bolsonaro came to office
By MAURICIO SAVARESE estation in Brazil's Amazon daily deforestation alerts National Climate Change promising to open more of
SAO PAULO (AP) — Prelimi- region over the past 12 based on satellite images. Policy target for 2020," said the Amazon to develop-
nary official data published months could be at a 14- Data from another system the Climate Observatory, ment, such as farming and
Friday indicate that defor- year high, adding to con- named Prodes, which relies comprised of more than 30 mining. q