These three that shipwrecks occurred on February 23 after the passage of the cyclone Emnati at the level of Pointes aux Sables and Bains des Dames have included many shady areas. The Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA) has detailed the course of operations by the Salvage Team but also announced the initiation of three investigations and the indictment of 6 officers attached to the Habour Radio Station of the MPA. A series of protocol changes were announced by the director Sanjeev Ghurburrun, on a series of procedures that he considered “illogical”.
A successful joint operation
The operations of refloating, lightening and towing took almost a month but was done without any leaks. However, the operations around the wrecked vessels, the Weng Hang Dar 168 and the Maan Yu Weng 01, Maan Yu Feng 168, were not easy, the Salvage Team composed of a union of more than twenty governmental and private organizations, among others, Eco Fuel, the Mauritius Ports Authority, the National Coast Guard, Police Helicopter Squadron and other elements of the police and the anti-pollution tug of the Greek company Poly Green Ltd, the Vasileios. The Chairman of the Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA), Sanjeev Ghurburrun, during a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon, March 22, detailed the difficulties in these various levels of operations “I would like to thank also the private sector and all third parties”.
More than 10 days of operations on the Maan Yu Feng 168
“These operations are not just about pumping, unloading and towing. Operations on the first two vessels, the Weng Hang Dar 168 and the Maan Yu Feng 01, were easier due to the good stability of the vessels. The Maan Yu Feng 168 alone required more than 10 days of operations” described the Director of Maritime Affairs, Alain Donat. Indeed, the Maan Yu Feng 168 had run aground on its left side, that is on its port side, requiring that the boat be put back on its keel before being towed. The main causes of this delay were the bad weather, the rough sea after the passage of the cyclone Emnati, the unstable tide but also the precautions to prevent any water and air pollution as well as the poor condition of the grounded vessels. In sum, the unloading operations concerned 120 tons of Marine Gas Oil (MGO) as well as an additional quantity of 23 tons of unclassified MGO, discovered by the MPA officers on board the Maan Yu Feng 01, in the hold where fish should have been stored. The weight to be removed also concerned the 80 tons of decomposing fish.
The commander of the NCG Vipin Gupta, for his part, said that “the transport of Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) for the more than 120 tons of MGO and the 80 tons of decomposing fish among others required 500 trips by helicopter”.
The series of “illogical” points to rectify
Sanjeev Ghurburrun also listed all the “illogical” points in the functioning of the various parties involved. “We are now trying to make a difference for the future. We are currently working on several changes regarding the maritime structure in the port,” he announced. Thus, new protocols will be established on access to boats after the passage of a cyclone announced by the Meteorological Station of Vacoas. This protocol specifically for the Cyclone situations will be established until the end of March. He also announced a change in their licensing models towards owners and ships agents in case of disaster or sinking, giving them more responsibilities. He made this remark due to the time taken to sign agreements with insurers to start operations in this emergency situation that could have caused an oil spill. He mentioned the additional cargo of MGO that was not listed. There will be the reinstatement of the supervisory system, an ‘Inspectorate’ that ceased to exist in 2003. And in conclusion, he mentioned the establishment of Dry Docks in case of such emergencies “this time we got lucky with Taylor Smith. The MPA will have to find a vacant place to establish a dry dock reserved for such emergencies”. For these changes the director of the MPA says he is open to proposals from the private sector.
The three investigations are currently being conducted by the police, the Ministry of Fisheries and the last one by the MPA itself. “At the MPA, six people will have to explain themselves,” said the director. They will have to answer on possible offences committed on this February 23. An internal disciplinary committee will decide the fate of those found responsible.
