Context: Recently,the island country of Mauritius has declared an environmental emergency after a ship that ran aground on a reef in the Indian Ocean started leaking fuel.
Issue

• The ship, the MK Wakashio, is Japanese-owned but registered in Panama. It was travelling from China to Brazil when it struck the reef on July 25 and its crew was evacuated. 
• However, subsequently due to bad weather and constant pounding by the ocean, the ship began to leak fuel, of which, there was 4,000 tonnes on board. 
• Mauritius’ Prime Minister has appealed to France for help. The French island of Reunion is situated near Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. 
• The Japanese company that owns the ship has also promised to do all it can to stop the leak. Mauritius is world-renowned for its coral reefs and international organisation Greenpeace has warned that the country, which depends on ecotourism, could be devastated by the disaster.

About Mauritius

• It is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) off the south-east coast of the African continent. Mauritius is considered to be part of the African Continent.
• The capital and largest city, Port Louis, is located on the main island of Mauritius.
• Physiographically, it is part of the Mascarene Islands.
• Mauritius is known for its varied flora and fauna, with many species endemic to the island.
• Mahatma Gandhi en route to India from South Africa made a brief stopover (October 29 to November 15, 1901), in Mauritius. As a tribute to Gandhiji and the Indian freedom struggle, the National Day of Mauritius is celebrated on March 12 (the date of launch of Dandi Salt March).