The recovery of a massive oil spill in August from a ship off Mauritius will likely be mostly completed by January. The bulk carrier’s owner, Japan’s Nagasaki Shipping, said on Thursday.
Of the approximately 1,000 tonnes that spilled from the Panamanian-flagged MV Wakashio, all of the oil that had been swimming in the ocean had been recovered, Nagashiki Shipping confirmed in a statement.
Work to remove the oil along approximately 30 km (18.6 miles) of coastline was proceeding smoothly and would likely be achieved by January, it said.
The vessel, chartered by Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd, ran aground on a reef in Mauritius on July 25 and began leaking oil on Aug. 6.
The spilled oil had spread over a vast area of endangered corals, affecting fish and other marine life in what some scientists have called the Indian Ocean island’s worst ecological disaster.
Nagashiki Shipping also said the planned removal of the vessel’s rear portion would begin in late December and last several months. The front part was scuttled in August, as instructed by local authorities.
