Thousands of protesters took to the streets in the Mauritian capital of Port Louis on Saturday to demand an investigation into the deaths of the dolphins washed ashore this week. The protesters want to know if there is a connection with the oil spill that took place off the coast of the country at the end of July.
Wednesday flushed at least 40 dolphins landed on the island, near the spot where a Japanese bulk carrier ran aground at the end of July and broke in two. About 1,000 tons of oil from the ship ended up in the water.
The protesters are angry about the lax attitude of the Mauritian government. One of the protesters held up a sign with a dolphin with the text ‘our lives matter‘(our lives matter), referring to the Black Lives Matter protests. Other protesters are demanding the resignation of government officials.
Mauritius relies heavily on tourism revenues and residents fear the oil spill coupled with the corona pandemic will cause lasting damage to this industry.
Dolphins had injuries
Authorities could not say this week whether the dolphins were killed as a result of the oil spill. Wounds were found in two dolphins studied, but no traces of oil. Climate organizations, however, question whether this autopsy from the government is correct and demand a new independent investigation.
The oil leaked into the waters near two nature reserves with special marine ecosystems and a marshy nature reserve on the coast. In Mauritius it is rare that several dead dolphins are found. The penultimate time was according to BBC News in May 2019. Then it was about two dolphins.
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