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Kenyans fear ‘ecological disaster’ if two swollen lakes merge

Kenyans fear ‘ecological disaster’ if two swollen lakes merge

JACKSON NJEHIA Lake Baringo, one of the most northern of the Kenyan Rift Valley lakes, is visible at the top of the image. With a surface area of 130 sq km and an elevation of around 970 m, the lake has an average depth of around 5 m and it is one of the two freshwater lakes in the Rift Valley.South of Lake Baringo lies Lake Bogoria – a saline, alkaline lake. The long and narrow lake has an area of around 30 sq km and is around 10 m deep. Lake Bogoria provides refuge for the lesser flamingo, with…
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Japanese ship involved in Mauritius oil spill breaks apart

Japanese ship involved in Mauritius oil spill breaks apart

OMAR MOHAMMED A Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on a reef in Mauritius last month threatening a marine ecological disaster around the Indian Ocean island has broken apart, authorities said on Saturday. The condition of the MV Wakashio was worsening early on Saturday and it split by the afternoon, the Mauritius National Crisis Committee said. "At around 4.30 pm, a major detachment of the vessel's forward section was observed," it said in a statement. "On the basis of the experts' advice, the towing plan is being implemented." The vessel struck a coral reef on July 25, spilling about 1,000…
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Oil spill in Mauritius may thwart years of conservation efforts

Oil spill in Mauritius may thwart years of conservation efforts

ZEENAT HANSROD Follow Conservationists in Mauritius are navigating unchartered territory as they struggle to assess the damage from the Wakashio oil spill in one of the island's most ecologically sensitive areas. All efforts have been deployed to protect the fragile ecosystem, which has existed for millions of years. “Even in my worst of nightmares, I would never have thought something like that could happen to us,” says Dr Vikash Tatayah, conservation director of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF). “We are used to cyclones, droughts or an invasive species, it’s part of nature and we know how to cope with that. But we never thought we would have to…
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Mauritius prepares for the worst as vessel at centre of oil spill disintegrates

Mauritius prepares for the worst as vessel at centre of oil spill disintegrates

ZEENAT HANSROD Follow THE ship responsible for an oil spill in Mauritius is likely to break into two, worsening what is already an unmitigated ecological and economic disaster. Indigenous species are at risk of becoming extinct. Locals’ livelihoods are in danger. The island will take years to recover from the oil spill at Pointe d’Esny.  The population in Mauritius is oscillating between anger and despair. Anger because Mauritians feel that this catastrophe could have been avoided, and despair because of the extent of the damage. Grown men are crying who can no longer recognise the place where they grew up.…
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Grounded Mauritius ship operator apologises for oil leak

Grounded Mauritius ship operator apologises for oil leak

THE operator of a Japanese bulk carrier which ran aground off Mauritius in the Indian Ocean apologised on Sunday for a major oil spill which officials and environmentalists say is creating an ecological disaster. The MV Wakashio, operated by Mitsui OSK Lines, struck the reef on Mauritius' southeast coast on July 25. Fuel started leaking from the cracked vessel on Thursday. "We apologise profusely and deeply for the great trouble we have caused," Akihiko Ono, executive vice president of Mitsui OSK Lines said at a new conference in Tokyo. He added that the company would "do everything in their power…
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