Ship captain sentenced to 20 months over Mauritius oil spill

The 'MV Wakashio' ran aground in July 2020, spilling more than 1,000 tonnes of fuel into pristine waters

Volunteers prepare to place handmade oil barriers in the sea at the Mahébourg waterfront in Mauritius. AFP

Volunteers prepare a handmade oil barrier to block leaked oil from the bulk carrier ship MV Wakashio. REUTERS

A drone image shows fishermen on a boat as they volunteer near the area where the bulk carrier ship MV Wakashio, belonging to a Japanese company but Panamanian-flagged, ran aground on a reef, at Riviere des Creoles, Mauritius. REUTERS

The MV Wakashio stranded close to Pointe d'Esny, Mauritius. EPA

People prepare a plane carrying light equipment and pollution experts before it flies to Mauritius, following fuel spillage from the bulk carrier ship MV Wakashio, at Saint-Denis de la Reunion airport on the island of Reunion, France. REUTERS

A volunteer is seen in the leaked oil from the bulk carrier ship MV Wakashio. Reuters

Local volunteers clean up oil washing up on the beach from the MV Wakashio. EPA

An aerial photograph shows oil drifting ashore over coral reefs from the MV Wakashio. AFP

A dead starfish is seen following leaked oil from the bulk carrier ship MV Wakashio, Mauritius. Reuters

A drone image shows volunteers preparing to handle leaked oil from the bulk carrier ship MV Wakashio. Reuters

An aerial view shows people scooping leaked oil. AFP

Local volunteers making absorbent barriers of straw stuffed into fabric sacks to contain oil from the MV Wakashio. EPA

Local volunteers lifting absorbent barriers made of straw stuffed into fabric sacks to contain oil from the MV Wakashio. EPA

A general view shows the bulk carrier ship MV Wakashio. Reuters

People scoop leaked oil from the vessel MV Wakashio, belonging to a Japanese company but Panamanian-flagged, that ran aground and caused oil leakage near Blue bay Marine Park in southeast Mauritius. AFP

A helicopter hovers over the vessel MV Wakashio in southeast Mauritius. AFP

The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius has declared a "state of environmental emergency" after the Japanese-owned ship that ran aground offshore days ago began spilling tons of fuel. AP

Local volunteers clean up oil washing up on the beach from the MV Wakashio off the southeast coast of Mauritius. EPA

Local volunteers make absorbent barriers of straw stuffed into fabric sacks to contain oil from the MV Wakashio. EPA

Local volunteers make absorbent barriers of straw stuffed into fabric sacks to contain oil from the MV Wakashio. EPA

An aerial photograph shows oil drifting ashore over coral reefs from the MV Wakashio. EPA

A general view of oil washed up on a beach from the MV Wakashio. EPA

The captain and first mate of a freighter that crashed into a coral reef off Mauritius, unleashing the Indian Ocean archipelago's worst environmental disaster, were sentenced on Monday to 20 months in prison.

"The court took into consideration the fact that both defendants pleaded guilty and apologised. The sentence handed down is 20 months in prison," said magistrate Ida Dookhy Rambarrun.

The MV Wakashio, a Japanese-owned but Panamanian-flagged vessel, ran aground in July last year, spilling more than 1,000 tonnes of toxic fuel into pristine waters, coating mangroves, corals and other fragile ecosystems.

The vessel's captain, Sunil Kumar Nandeshwar, who was convicted by a court in the capital Port Louis last week, admitted drinking during an onboard birthday party.

He and first officer, Hitihanillage Subhoda Janendra Tilakaratna, were found guilty of "endangering safe navigation".

"The captain and his second in command were irresponsible and did not deliver as they should on their 'navigational duties'," the magistrate said on Monday.

The MV Wakashio was sailing from Singapore to Brazil with 3,800 tonnes of fuel oil and 200 tonnes of diesel on board when it ran into the reef off the south-east coast of Mauritius.

During the trial, the captain said he had given instructions to approach Mauritian waters to gain access to a mobile phone network so that crew members could contact their families.

"The sea was bad, but the visibility was clear and it was safe to navigate ... At one point, the ship could not move and had touched the sea floor," Nandeshwar said.

"Since I had had a few drinks, it did not seem worthwhile to intervene and it did not occur to me that we were sailing that close."

More than 1,000 tonnes of oil seeped into waters full of marine life from a gash in the vessel's hull before salvage crews were able to remove all the remaining fuel.

The accident occurred near two ecologically critical sites: Blue Bay, known for its coral gardens, and Pointe d'Esny, which hosts a mangrove forest – a crucial ecosystem as well as a weapon in the fight against global warming.

In the days after the accident, thousands of volunteers gathered along the coast wearing rubber boots and gloves, scrubbing rocks and stringing together makeshift cordons to contain the oily tide.

Thousands of people also took to the streets in the following months to protest against the government's reaction to the disaster.

The ship eventually split in two. Its bow and hull were towed 15 kilometres offshore and sunk.

The process to dismantle the stern section and remove it from the reef began earlier this year but has been postponed many times owing to rough weather and strong waves.