Oil spills in the Western Indian Ocean

The report highlights a gap between the existing policy frameworks and the actual operational capabilities of countries in the Western Indian Ocean to respond to marine pollution. It uses the 2020 MV Wakashio grounding in Mauritius to demonstrate that national contingency plans alone are insufficient. The author argues that regional cooperation is hindered by limited funding and technical capacity, and recommends the urgent adoption of the draft regional contingency plan and the creation of a Regional Coordination Centre, likely hosted by South Africa, to standardise training and response efforts.

• The July 2020 grounding of the MV Wakashio off Mauritius demonstrated that simply activating a national oil spill contingency plan is insufficient to prevent the extensive environmental damage caused by marine pollution incidents.
• While a framework for regional and national contingency planning exists, the draft regional contingency plan for the Western Indian Ocean has remained in draft form for over a decade and has not yet been adopted.
• National oil spill contingency plans (NOSCPs) across the region vary in status: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, and Tanzania have plans being revised; Kenya and Mauritius are revising theirs; Seychelles and Somalia have drafts; and South Africa's plan is pending signature.
• A critical weakness in national plans is the lack of comprehensive coverage for all eventualities; for example, the Mauritius plan lacked a wildlife response plan, which contributed to devastating impacts on marine life.
• Regional cooperation in the Western Indian Ocean is stalled primarily due to limited financial resources, budget constraints, and a lack of technical capacity.
• There is a critical need for a Regional Coordination Centre (RCC) to facilitate information exchange, technical cooperation, and standardised training exercises to ensure a coordinated regional response.
• South Africa has expressed willingness to host the RCC through the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), but finalisation requires interdepartmental agreement between the Department of Transport, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, and the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries.

APA

Swanepoel, E. (2020). Oil spills in the Western Indian Ocean. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar-31.pdf

Chicago

Swanepoel, Ernesta. Oil spills in the Western Indian Ocean. Institute for Security Studies, 2020. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar-31.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Swanepoel |first1=Ernesta |title=Oil spills in the Western Indian Ocean |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=December 2020 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar-31.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{swanepoel2020oil, author = {Swanepoel, Ernesta}, title = {{Oil spills in the Western Indian Ocean}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ar-31.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }