#Protests fill Mauritius streets as dolphin death toll climbs from oil spill

A month after a Japanese oil tanker slammed into a coral reef and ran aground off the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, tens of thousands hit the streets in the tiny country to protest the government’s handling of the resulting oil spill and the deaths of dozens of dolphins believed to be related.

The protesters waved the country’s flag and held up signs with messages such as “You have no shame,” “I’ve seen better Cabinets at IKEA” and “Tyranny is spreading faster than COVID-19,” The Associated Press reported. Some speakers called for government officials to step down.

“We do not trust the government and the diluted information they’ve been feeding us regarding the management and responses to the oil spill,” Fabiola Monty, 33 a Mauritian environmental scientist, told Reuters.

“Never seen so many people in the streets. This is beautiful,” local writer Khalil Cassimally tweeted. He suggested in a separate tweet nearly 10% of the island’s population took part in the protest.

Other demonstrations were reported outside the Mauritius High Commission in London and in Paris and Perth, Australia. There was no immediate comment by the Mauritius government.

Tourism is a key industry in Mauritius, and the oil spill was a significant blow on top of the coronavirus pandemic, which has limited international travel. The fuel leaked into the Mahebourg Lagoon, mucking up a protected wetlands area and a small island that was a bird and wildlife sanctuary. Civilian volunteers worked for days to try to minimize the damage.

Authorities said on Friday that at least 39 dolphins have washed ashore, but it’s not clear what killed them. Examinations of two carcasses showed signs of injury but no trace of oil in their bodies. Results from another 25 necropsies are expected to be released in coming days.

The July 25 crash of the ship MV Wakashio was the first time a new low-sulfer fuel oil, being introduced to reduce air pollution, was spilled. Experts say the long-term effects of a release of this type of fuel are not yet known. The remaining fuel was pumped out of the damaged ship before it split in two.

Residents and environmentalists are demanding investigations into why the ship strayed miles off course. Its captain and first officer were arrested and charged with “endangering safe navigation.”