On the night of the 24th July 2020 the Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio under the Panama flag grounded on the south east barrier reef on a world heritage RAMSAR site and locally protected area. 

The ship stayed on the reef a few days before the waves destroyed the flanks and it generated the worst ever ecological catastrophe that Mauritius ever new.

1000 tons of Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (LSFO) spread out from one of the ship tanks provoking a Tier 3 class oil spill inside the lagoon of Mahébourg.

The people of Mauritius organized themselves in order to stop the spreading out of the oil spill and the MMCO was involved in many ways such as:

 - construction of protection booms in order to stop the oil; 

 - cleaning of beaches from oil spill;

 - Participating in the crisis committee with foreign experts and the local authorities and other NGOs;

 - controlling the scuttling area of the front part of the wreck;