WAKASHIO

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DPP has only received certain sections of the report deemed relevant from the Attorney General

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) issued a statement on July 31, clarifying its position regarding the Court of Inquiry's report into the grounding of the 'Wakashio' off Pointe-d'Esny. This clarification came after Minister Arvin Boolell's statement in Parliament. The DPP reiterated that it has only received certain sections of the report deemed relevant from the Attorney General, via the Solicitor General, since Feb 9, 2023. Despite repeated requests in 2023 and 2025, the full report has never been provided to it. Based on the observations and recommendations contained in the submitted section of the report, the DPP sent a letter to the Commissioner of Police on March 13, 2023, requesting that an investigation be initiated to determine whether any offenses had been committed. On July 12, following a parliamentary question (PQ B/707), the Ministry of Agro-Industry requested information from the DPP regarding the follow-up to these recommendations. On July 14, the DPP wrote again to the Commissioner of Police to inquire about the progress of the investigation requested since March 2023. According to information received by the DPP on July 28, the police had made a request to the Ministry of the Blue Economy for the full report. However, as of March 30, this request had remained unanswered. It therefore appears that no investigation was initiated due to lack of access to the full report. Report with photo: https://lexpress.mu/s/le-dpp-na-toujours-pas-le-rapport-complet-de-la-cour-dinvestigation-547915

Fishermen still waiting for compensation

Five years after the 'Wakashio' ended up on the reefs of Pointe-d'Esny on July 25, 2020, the ecological and social wounds have beem remaining open. Fishermen and coastal workers, heavily affected by the oil spill, were still waiting for proper compensations. Temporary aid and partial compensation have been paid by the authorities and the ship's insurer, but these amounts were considered insufficient by the victims. Since then, no significant progress has been reported. More than seven months after an initial questioning in Parliament, MP Tony Apollon was asked whether the report of the commission of inquiry into the disaster will be made public., while the Attorney General's office continues to examine available legal avenues. From August 2020 to March 2021, 999 people (professional fishermen, holders of recreational boat licenses, and street vendors working along the beaches in the area) received 10,200 Mauritian rupees per month, or approximately €191 per month. The funds paid out represent 7% of the sums disbursed by insurers and the government. Following the accident, fishermen have noted a decline in biodiversity. Professionals are seriously considering retraining in the agri-food sector. Fishing is no longer profitable, and in winter, weather conditions do not allow for offshore fishing.

Japan's Transport Safety Authority released final report into grounding

Japan's Transport Safety Authority concluded on Sep 28, 2023, that the 'Wakashio' ran aground in the evening of July 25, 2020, off Mauritius in 2020 because it altered its planned route and approached the coast in order to pick up mobile phone signals. The Japan Transport Safety Board also said that COVID-19 travel restrictions and border closures may have slowed containment efforts and increased the damage caused by the massive oil spill. The bulk carrier, chartered by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. and owned by Nagashiki Shipping Co. in Okayama Prefecture, western Japan, spilled about 1,000 tons of fuel oil into a pristine marine environment in the Indian Ocean. The board's three-year investigation also found that safety awareness among crew members was low as the freighter had repeatedly approached close to coastlines to connect to mobile phone networks in the past as well. According to the report, the captain of the vessel ordered it to divert from its planned route and approach the coast without obtaining marine charts of the area. Marine charts would have alerted the ship to crucial information such as that the water depth along the coastline in the area was shallower than 20 meters. The route was changed two days before the grounding incident, with the distance from the coast of Mauritius altered from 22 nautical miles to five nautical miles. On the day of the accident, the ship tried to further reduce the distance from the coast from five nautical miles to two nautical miles, according to the report. The Indian captain and his first officer, a Sri Lankan national, were focused on signal receptions for their smartphones. The captain also had two glasses of whisky and water at the birthday party of a crew member before the accident.