This oil spill could destroy the beautiful Mauritius I once knew | Alex Lenferna

Leaking oil now threatens the majestic ocean ecosystems of my home island - already at risk from the climate crisis

The news has been awash with images of an oil spill off the coast of Mauritius - a beautiful, tropical island in the middle of the Indian Ocean where my family is from. For me the images are gut-wrenching. The lagoon where this massive spill is happening is where many of my family lives. It's where I used to swim and snorkel for hours and hours as a kid. It's where I used to go fishing with my late grandfather who lived on the shore of this lagoon for decades with my grandmother.

It's one of the most beautiful places on Earth I know, and it is being devastated. Already over 1,000 tonnes of oil have leaked out of the Japanese carrier MV Wakashio that ran aground on the coral reef, and thousands more could follow if the ship breaks apart.