Published. Through its network of companies, these fossil fuels are then pushed through into long-term shipping and power station infrastructure around the world, undermining many small island states calling for stronger corporate responsibility against the climate crisis. Rather than an election, as the local media and other political parties had been demanding at the time, he controversially appointed his son as Prime Minister, who was then the Minister of Information Technology, Pravind Jugnauth. UNCTAD is the UN agency that supports developing countries in gaining fair access to the globalized economy. The intention was to appeal to small island states to win their influence, by offering the possibility of new economic pathways for these countries. These visits were strengthened with various institutional links. Prior to the Wakashio grounding Japan was already facing a backlash in Mauritius from what appeared to be a series ofsecretive deals for tuna access rightsand maritime security assistance, with questions also being raised about the$12m that Japan had grantedMauritius for the purchasing of radars (given thatmost of Mauritius radarshad appeared to be down on the day of the crash). The stakes could not have been higher with the rising influence of China across the Indian Ocean. Japanese PM Abe next to AU Chairman, Chadian President Idriss Derby during the opening of the TICAD [+] (Tokyo International Conference on African Development) in August 27, 2016 Nairobi. How bad is the spillage? They eventually reached an additional $90 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2012, the largest civil penalty under the U.S. Clean Water Act. The Wakashio ran aground on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius in July, triggering an oil spill [+] and ecological catastrophe that has become a largely Japanese affair. The real victims of this tragedy have been the poorer fishing communities along the coastline drenched by the toxic oil spill and suffering the health and economic consequences of the disaster, as well as Mauritius unique marine environment that is home to some of the worlds most unique species. It is a tale of shady defense deals, opaque aid, high level corruption and powerful corporate interests who wield a stronger influence than the Japanese state. All six of the other Japanese fishing vessels based in Mauritius could be tracked, aside from the Tomi Maru No 58, the largest vessel in the fleet, which kept its transponder silent. The Japanese economy required a major turnaround following the banking crisis of 2008 and Eurozone crisis of 2011. This has allowed Japan to control the narrative in many countries, and was one of the main criticisms of the oil spill response in Mauritius, where Japans support to Mauritius pushed away international scientists from friendly nations (e.g., U.S., Australia, U.K., France, Canada) with genuine expertise in major oil spill responses (including local, independent Mauritian scientists) to exclusively use Japanese scientists, who did not understand the local ecology. Mitsui was a 15% investor in Brazil's Vale, who was responsible for a devastating collapse of an [+] iron ore mine killing 270 people in 2019. August 22, 2020 1 Overview The MV Wakashio left China on 14 July, heading for Brazil. A satellite image shows the bulk carrier ship MV Wakashio and its oil spill after it ran aground off the southeast coast . However, it has only been under recent U.S. foreign policy under President Trump, that this has now translated into tacit approval of Japan and India increasing their military presence in the Indian Ocean, against the protests of many island nations who are there. Who owned the rig responsible for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill? There is no middle ground. The mining disaster raises questions about how serious Mitsui takes safety, environmental concerns and industrial incidents, as a shareholder in major oil, gas, mining and industrial operations around the world. Mitsui was fined over $1 billion for their involvement in the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the U.S. [+] Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Explained: How severe was the Mauritius oil spill? Accounts by the Prime Minister of Mauritius in Parliament reveal concerns with the defensive radars [+] around Mauritius at the time of the grounding. Mauritius oil spill: Wrecked MV Wakashio breaks up - BBC News It involved illegally obtaining sensitive bid information on what its competitors were pricing their bids at, and allowed BWSC to price its bids appropriately to win the tender. What will be the environmental impact of the Mauritius oil spill? [+] AFP via Getty Images Four months. The restoration of Japanese Emperor Mutsuhito Meiji between 1867-1912, marked the end of the [+] Shogunate, and the rapid industrialization of Japan. Here are six drivers behind Japans strong interests in Mauritius, all of which have started to unravel with the Wakashio oil spill: This is why these drivers matter and what they mean for Japans role in the world. Protests seen here from 29 November 2019. Japans powerful tuna interests have had their eye on Mauritius and the Indian Ocean for a while. Of . Abe was a controversial Prime Minister, known for his close ties to big business, and his pro-fossil fuel,pro-military, nationalist policies that inflamed tensions with China and triggered widespread protests by climate advocates. BWSC has built 10 Power Plants in Mauritius over the past 20 years (Fort George - 1995, St Louis - 2004 and 2016, Fort Victoria - 2009 and 2011, Rodrigues Port Mathurin - 1994, 1996, 1998, Rodrigues Pointe Monnier - 2003, 2011). Satellite analysis from both global maritime analytics firm,Windward and Geollect, also reveal that theWakashiohad been on a straight line course for four days before it struck Mauritius reefs. Shipbuilding, ship engines and Power Plants: Mitsui is a shareholder in one of Japans largest shipbuilding companies, $8 billion revenue a year Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding (Mitsui E&S), with almost 15,000 employees. Japanese whalers brought ashore their first catches on July 1 as they resumed commercial hunting after a three-decade hiatus. 16 Dec 2012: Shinzo Abe on the campaign trail in 2012, in what would lead to a decade dominating [+] Japanese politics that would eventually cast a shadow over the Wakashio oil spill in Mauritius. These other small island and coastal states are on the front lines of the climate crisis, and do not appear eager to be drawn into the broader global geopolitics of rising tension in Asia. Why the Mauritius oil spill is so serious. The former underwater continent experiences an upwelling of nutrients from across the Indian Ocean and is an important nursing and feeding ground for large ocean creatures such as whales, dolphins, sharks and rays. The 29 August 2019 Tokyo meeting between the two leaders of Japan, Shinzo Abe and Mauritius, Pravind [+] Jugnauth, Also notably in the meetingbetween the Prime Minister of Japan and Prime Minister of Mauritius in Tokyo on 29 August 2019, Prime Minister Abe stated that Japan intends to cooperate with Mauritius to develop the Indian Ocean as a free and open ocean, and that, to that end, Japan will support strengthening of maritime security capacity through the recently signed The Economic and Social Development Programme.. Telekom Malaysia is the country's largest telecommunications company. What is clear is the large increase in Japans presence in Mauritian waters. It was a major corruption scandal over a $120 million African Development Bank-financed Heavy Fuel Oil Power Station called St Louis, built on the St Louis river that passes through capital city Port Louis. These principles have proven controversial as shipping pushed through regulations last month that violated the Paris Climate Agreement. The MV Wakashio, which spilled more than 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil off Mauritius, has split apart. Maltas Auditor General subsequently produced a 40-page report into the BWSC bidding process that did not find any wrong doing. . Mauritius oil spill: Almost all fuel oil pumped out of MV Wakashio - BBC India has spent $1.4 billion in aid to Maldives in what has been seen as an attempt to deepen Indias defense ties with the Maldives. Why the Mauritius oil spill is so serious. MOLs Head of Safety and Managing Executive Officer, Masanori Kato, said that the original voyage plan was to sail 10 to 20 miles off the south side of Mauritius Island, but the waves were high and we were shifting north to avoid cliffs. MOL has not responded to Forbes questions calling for an explanation of why such a statement was issued that does not match with the facts shown at the time. The Japanese economy had been in the doldrumsfor four decades: a situation of low growth, low inflation, and low interest rates. Mauritius oil spill: Ship captain was partying as vessel sank and APRIL 9, 2019: Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg and Russia's President Vladimir Putin (L-R [+] front) speak at session titled "The Arctic: An Ocean of Opportunity". Seen here Japan's Kawasaki shipyards in 1930. The Wakashio oil spill has galvanized protests around the world. Deepwater Horizon oil spill | Summary, Effects, Cause, Clean Up VideoSolving the air-con conundrum, Fury in The Gambia over India cough syrup deaths, Chicken, chips and Zimbabwe's taste for democracy. Less than two weeks later, the MV Wakashio spilt 1,000 tonnes of oil into this pristine lagoon. Japan saw a rapid industrialization led by large interrelated business groups following the [+] restoration of the Emperor in 1867. If it was that easy for a drunken captain (as was initially claimed) to sail such a vessel through all the layers of Japans maritime security apparatus, there are some serious questions that must be answered. The clean-up of a massive oil spill in August from a vessel off Mauritius will likely be mostly completed by January, the bulk carrier's owner, Japan's Nagashiki Shipping, said Thursday. This was in return for Mitsui being indemnified from any further claims. Environmental campaigners have demanded an independent investigation, saying they were either killed as a direct result of the spill or when it was scuttled. Floods in Kiribati in 2015. This meant new options had to be explored ahead of the controversial (and still disputed) 2019 elections. How could the Wakashio - a Japanese vessel as large as a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier - have then been allowed to occur? Seen [+] here Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Unique beach life of the Seychelles being impacted by climate change. Ambassador Yoshiharu Kato, Japan's first Ambassador to Mauritius. Instead of fighting inequality and eradicating poverty, governments will use aid to subsidize their own firms, he warned earlier this year. . However, Japans military-industrial complex that has pushed for a more international role for Japanese business has demonstrated a stunning failure to understand how the world has moved on from the more extractive years of the twentieth century. Kunashiri Island is a Russian-held territory claimed by Japan., The Londons Evening Standard further reported about the Kunashiri Island project that, The Tokyo District Prosecutor's Office alleged that details of the Foreign Ministry secret budget for the plan were leaked to the Mitsui employees, enabling the company to outbid two rivals for the contract worth two billion yen ($20 million). The environmental crisis unfolding in Mauritius is a stark reminder of the fragility of terrestrial-marine ecosystems. Following allegations that Mitsui had paid $3 million (300 million Yen) to Telekom Malaysia as an inducement to award a major contract, Transparency International called for Mitsui to be blacklisted if complicity were to have been found. This stance appealed to certain island states (e.g., Nauru), but not to others (e.g., Marshall Islands). However, toward the end of his premiership, his party was embroiled in accusations of political misconductand his popularity had plummeted as both he and his wife had become embroiled in several major financial scandals. of Seychelles refused to ratify the naval base that India has been planning to build on Assumption Island, Seychelles. iron ore mine killing 270 people in 2019. earnings. Japan, Honshu, Tokyo, Toyosu Fish Market, Packing and Packaging Area. July 1, 2019. These industrial vessels are far larger than the 3-5 meter long wooden boats that the subsidence coastal lagoon fishermen are used to. In many ways, these Keiretsus have become the Japanese state, strongly influencing Government policies and becoming key to the success of any aspiring politician. A political crisis in Mauritius three years ago with a new Prime Minister, a weak Government and hollowed-out institutions opened up the window of opportunity that Japan had been looking for. Something does not add up. Securing 95 votes in the 193 member United Nations (49%), would be very powerful for Japan, especially in its quest to obtain a powerful UN Security Council Seat, in the event of escalating tensions with China. Japan's aid agency had supposedly provided Mauritius with the latest early warning radar system and [+] weather monitoring capabilities. It is a major financier of power plants around the world linked to Mitsui subsidiaries, such as Delimara Power Station in Malta. In 2019, it acquired the rights to Grosvenor Coal Mine in Australia (which suffered a serious methane gas explosion this year shutting the mine down until 2021), was an investor in $3 billion of LNG facilities in the Arctic (through Russia), commenced production of a new Australian oil field (Greater Enfield Project), was an investor in the $16 billion LNG production in Mozambique (in Afungi) with French oil company Total. A decade ago, Japan was facing two big challenges. A further analysis conducted by satellite analytics company, Windward, reveals that they have been using Mauritius as a base for regional fishing expeditions and around the entire coast of Africa. These projects were not mentioned in the Borsen.dk investigative reports. An important part of this pivot is likely to have been due to the Africa Development Bank decision to ban BWSC following the discovery of bid-rigging and bribery practices in its activities in Mauritius. I cover innovation within the green/blue industrial revolution. With the strong influence of many public and private entities linked to the Mitsui Keiretsu now involved in Mauritius and the Wakashio response, there are calls for an independent, international investigation into what transpired in Mauritius. The UN chief is deeply concerned about the condition of the FSO Safer oil tanker, moored off the western coast of Yemen, his spokesperson said on Friday. On July 25, a Japanese-owned, Panamanian-flagged 300-metre long bulk carrier crashed into coral reefs mere kilometres from Pointe d'Esny, a village on the south-east coast. The Japanese Embassy did not respond to requests from Forbes since October 16. International Space Station image of a Category 4 Hurricane Florence. Not only has the policy of militarizing Mauritian territory been highly contentious (it was a deliberate strategy of Mauritius since independence not to have a military force to maintain peaceful internal and external relations), but the way that this base has been secured has been particularly controversial in displacing the local island population. Oil spill prompts environmental state of emergency in Mauritius 00:30. . As Western countries and companies have cut back on their fishing operations in the Indian Ocean to help tuna stocks recover, Japan has expanded its fleet and fishing operations. This was in spite of media articles prominently highlighting the need for evidence collection in the very early days of the Wakashio oil spill, and the - what now appears to be deliberate - exclusion of independent scientists from the oil spill response effort. 28 Jun 2020: U.S President Donald Trump, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and India's Prime [+] Minister, Narendra Modi built a strong military, geopolitical and energy partnership during their terms in office. There is also criticism over the decision to deliberately sink part of the ship after it split in two. Although several international conventions govern the seas and how they are used, some are not ratified by all countries while others have yet to enter into force. Mauritius oil spill puts spotlight on ship pollution | UNCTAD giant Vale. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Some of the statements about how the Wakashio ran aground was later found to be inaccurate. A controversial 2018fisheries and maritime security dealbetween Japan and Mauritius, and signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Masahisa Sato, with the then Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mauritius, Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo, proved veryunpopular with protestsby Mauritian fishermen who had complained about theunsustainable tuna fishing methodsof the Japanese fleets in Mauritian waters, and questionedJapan on its sustainability practices and policies on whaling. First, Abe aggressively pushed Japans interests across Africa. Thousands of people have marched through the Mauritian capital, Port Louis, in protest at the authorities' handling of a massive oil spill, and the discovery of 39 dead dolphins. The values of the Japanese Government and Japans large military-industrial complex is fundamentally the wrong fit for small island nation like Mauritius. The Keiretsu are large groups of companies with overlapping and interlocking business relationships. Japans aid to Mauritius in recent years is a classic example of aid that is not transparent. Five appear to be sophisticated tuna fishing vessels. Brief Introduction The MV Wakashio set sail for Brazil on 14 July. Show abstract. To secure the support of small island states, Abe launched a Commission called the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, along with Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, who was also seeking a UN Security Council Seat for Norway. Apr 2020. Greenpeace Some of the coral reefs have already been contaminated by the oil spill The ship, MV Wakashio, is believed to have been carrying around 4,000 tonnes of fuel, of which nearly 1,200. Trade in many developing countries is expected to take a nosedive in the second quarter of 2020, owing to the unprecedented effects of the coronavirus pandemic, UN economists said on Tuesday. Mitsui E&S also builds ship engines, such as the one used on the Wakashio. This is in addition to a four-way defense agreement called Exercise Malabar (involving the Navies of Japan, India, U.S. and Australia), which also took place in the Indian Ocean in November, and involved over a hundred ships, aircraft carriers, submarines, aircraft, and thousands of sailors (the U.S. alone had 6000 troops on its aircraft carrier group supporting the exercise). Japanese corporate interests than that of the communities impacted, Japanese politics that would eventually cast a shadow over the Wakashio oil spill in Mauritius. Some of the largest spills were between 1978 and 1991, and of all the large oil spills reported since 1970, only about 4% occurred after 2010. Japan has also forgotten that the time of the strong man ruler in many parts of the world may also be coming to an end, as popular uprisings are occurring once more around the world by populations fed up of corruption, incompetence and disregard for nature. This is a fraction compared to the large Mauritian diaspora in the U.K., France, Australia, Canada and other countries around the world, where the diaspora population is even larger than the Mauritian population currently living on the set of islands. Aug. 10, 2023, 7:10 PM ET (AP) A billion-dollar coastal project begins in Louisiana. 2023 BBC. 29 Aug 2020: Protests against how the oil spill was handled galvanized the entire population of [+] Mauritius and the diaspora. Through a third division, MOL, Mitsui is indirectly one of the worlds largest ship insurers. The disputed Kunashiri Island that both Russia and Japan claim, The Japan Times went on to report, The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office is reportedly preparing to investigate Mitsuis role in the episode, suspecting violations of legislation banning the bribing of foreign government officials. Mauritius became a core part of this strategy. It is also important to note that under President Trump, the heads of state of all four nations - the U.S., India, Japan and Australia - had been pursuing a strong fossil fuel policy in breach of the Paris Climate Agreement. The Delimara Power Station in Malta. Anger Mounts Over Mauritius Oil Spill - The New York Times Abes practice of tying aid to Japanese businesses, was widely criticized as a soft subsidy to advance large Japanese corporate interests, rather than serving the needs of recipient nations. Japan has earned a poor reputation among the OECD group of 20 wealthiest nations for using aid to advance its foreign policy and corporate interests, rather than using aid to advance programs for the common good (e.g., climate change). Mitsuis role appears several times in the Wakashio story: Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) is one of the world's largest shipping lines. On climate and ecology, will it be again? 16 Aug 2020: Support from other nations were pushed out and only Japanese scientists were permitted [+] to work on Wakashio relief efforts. Yet, it was only in a moment of political crisis and weakness in Mauritius that Japan saw the opportunity to deepen its political and economic ties with a new Prime Minister, and make strong foreign policy demands. You may opt-out by. These figures are only available until 2016 (when relations between Japan and Mauritius really started to deepen). For decades, Mauritius was seen as a stable political and economic force across the continent, frequently topping most Ease of Doing Business charts for Africa. Mauritius races to contain oil spill, protect coastline | AP News Japans relationship with the ocean could not have been more diametrically opposed. This means that there have been as many senior dignitary visits between Japan and Mauritius in the last four years as the previous twelve. The ship began to leak fuel oil in the following weeks, and broke apart in mid August. With the world looking the other way, Japan and its partners rapidly flexed its muscles in Mauritius, as a base for their broader Indian Ocean goals. The MV Wakashioa Japanese-owned bulk carrier flying under the Panamanian flag was travelling from China to Brazil when it grounded on a coral reef on 25 July, close to a marine park and two internationally protected wetland sites. 11 Dec 2014: Anerood Jugnauth elected Prime Minster at age 84 years old, and stepped down two years [+] later. Mauritius oil spill likely to be cleaned up by January, ship - CNN The full revelations shocked Mauritius and were first made public in a press release on 8 June 2020 by the African Development Bank. Most industrial fishing operations started to significantly increase after 2017. Muscat met with Maltas Auditor General, Anthony Mifsud, in 2009 and presented him with newspaper clippings from an investigative report conducted by Danish Newspaper Borsen.dk in 2003. Satellite images show a dark slick spreading in the turquoise waters near wetlands that the government called "very sensitive." (2020 Maxar Technologies via AP)

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