Mauritius has witnessed an unprecedented Oil Spill following the wreck of MV Wakashio, a large cape size bulk carrier which was built by the Universal Shipbuilding Corporation of TSU in Japan. The oil spill occurred in the South of Mauritius, more precisely offshore of Pointe d’Esny after the bulk carrier ran aground on a coral reef on the 25th July of 2020 at around 16:00 (U.K). As a result of the wreckage, the bulk carrier began to leak fuel oil in the following weeks which has led the ship to break apart in Mid August. Although much of the oil on board Wakashio was pumped out before she broke in half, an estimated 1,000 tons of heavy fuel oil spilled into the ocean which have been called by some scientists the Worst Environmental Disaster ever in Mauritius.
The laws applicable to the Wakashio’s shipwreck
Mauritian law and international law are both applicable to the Wakashio’s shipwreck but only to the extent recognized by or consistent with Mauritian law. The national law governing the law of the sea is the Merchant Shipping Act 2007 which expressly recognizes the Salvage convention of 1989, which has the effect of importing rules under the Salvage Convention into our domestic law. Our Maritime Zone Act incorporates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
All ships sailing in ‘Mauritius waters’, except for warships, are thus subject to Mauritian Law. Mauritius waters means our territorial sea, our internal waters, our archipelagic waters and our historic waters, including their beds, subsoils, resources and the air space above them.
Even outside the context of a shipwreck, Mauritian law applies anyway. This goes to the territorial integrity of Mauritius, a fundamental norm recognised in international law, aside from our own Constitution. Our law, consistent with international law, recognises the innocent passage on vessels in our seas. However, all ships entering our seas are monitored by our National Coast Guard.
The National Coast Guard Act, again consistent with international law, empowers the Coast Guard to stop, arrest, board and search any vessel in Mauritius waters, irrespective of its flag state. It can do so to prevent entry by sea or any activity that is likely to constitute a threat to the maritime zones, including the seabed, the flora, the reefs, the beach and the coastline. The law goes as far as to expressly provide that the National Coast Guard may fire at or into the vessel which does not stop immediately and lie to or manoeuvre in such a way as to permit it to be boarded.
Our law (see the Merchant Shipping Act) is fairly comprehensive regarding shipping casualties, which include the stranding, grounding or damage of a ship. The Director of Shipping has broad powers under the law, including the power to exercise general direction and supervision over all matters relating to wreck and salvage, as well as the power to seize and detain any wreck. Thus, the law expressly recognises the power of the Director to give directions in relation to any salvage operation. The Director is also empowered to take measures to protect the environment from pollution or threat of pollution. All these rights are recognised in our domestic legislation as well as the Salvage Convention.
Our law also empowers the Director to carry a preliminary enquiry in the circumstances of the shipping casualty. This is in addition to and independent of the power of the Minister responsible for shipping to cause a formal investigation to be held by a ‘Court of Investigation’ – chaired by a judge or former judge and assisted by two other persons with skills and knowledge in maritime matters. A Court of Investigation has the same powers as a Commission of Inquiry.
Where a shipwreck results in oil spills, as is the case here, our environmental laws also come into operation. The Environment Protection Act 2002 (the “EPA”) imposes several obligations on the owner of the pollutant being spilled. The owner of a pollutant is defined under the Act as the owner or the person having the charge, management or control of a pollutant which is spilled or unlawfully discharged. There may thus be more than one owner of a pollutant. The owner of the spill must do everything practicable to prevent, eliminate or reduce the adverse effects of the spill, including to restore the environment to the state it was in prior to the spill.
Liability for damages caused by the oil spills
Our EPA specifically provides that any person affected in any way by an oil spill has a right to damages from the owner of the pollutant. Our law uses the expression ‘affected in any way’. Now, our environmental law expressly recognises that every Mauritian has stewardship of the environment. It may then be possible to argue that every Mauritian has standing before a court of law as an affected person to seek damages from the owner/s of the pollutant. The general principles relating to ‘faute’ under our Civil Code namely article 1384 which also provide a fallback position. Under EPA liability is strict and damages for oil pollution is unlimited under domestic law notwithstanding international law.
International law provides a comprehensive regime dealing with liability for oil pollution. There is the 1969 International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage and the 1992 Civil Liability Convention. Whilst Mauritius is a party to these conventions, these would not apply in the present case as they deal with pollution by oil tankers. The relevant convention would be the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage 2001, to which Mauritius is also a party.
While liability of the registered owner of a vessel is not generally difficult to establish (liability is generally strict, even in the relevant international conventions), there are some additional considerations.
For example, the 1969 and 1992 Conventions applying to oil tankers provide a two-tier compensation regime. The registered owner of the vessel bears sole liability, but if adequate compensation cannot be recovered, the Conventions have funds (the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds) for additional compensation to be paid.
In contrast, the 2001 Convention (relating to bunker oil spills) only provides a single-tier regime, although liability is not limited to that of the owner. Classification societies, charterers, salvors, operators or even in certain circumstances state authorities may all be held liable. Article 195 (d) of the Mauritian Merchant Shipping Act 2007 specifically carves out any limit on liability arising from oil pollution damage. There is however a technical legal question as to whether it would be this piece of legislation that would apply or the International Maritime legal conventions. If the Bunker Convention applies, the range of potential recovery would be puny when compared to the damage caused and for that reason, other avenues need to be pursued in order to increase the envelope of potential recovery for the nation. According to Article 195 (d) of the Merchant Shipping Act 2007, limitation on liability for oil pollution damage is excluded. The ship owner will not be able to rely on the limitation of liability under Article 3 of the convention on civil liability for bunker oil pollution damage 2001, in as much as Section 195 (d) being the national law shall prevail.
It is apposite to note that, Mauritius is a party by accession to the protocol of 1996 as per deposit of instrument of accession with International Maritime Organisation and therefore liability cannot be limited in relation to this oil pollution. Vessel owners, operators of vessels and owners of oil pollutant are warned.
Article written by Dev Erriah – Erriah Chambers Mauritius
