Mauritians 'left in the dark' over oil spill

Former Mauritius president and biodiversity scientist, Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, says Mauritians are getting most of their information on the recent oil spill from the media rather than the government.

A Japanese-owned vessel, the Wakashio, ran aground on a coral reef off the coast of Mauritius on 25 July while carrying 4,000 tonnes of fuel oil.

It caused an unprecedented ecological crisis there.

Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth commissioned a formal investigation and promised a full and transparent inquiry, but his government has been accused of not being transparent in the handling of the clean-up operation.

"Over 45 days since the Wakashio crashed on our reef... we still don't know how much oil has landed in our waters, we still don't know to what extent they've started the clean up procedure, what reagents they are using," Dr Fakim told the BBC's Newsday programme.

"We are completely in the dark. We get information from the newspapers in bits and pieces but there has not been something coherent."