Thousands of people marched on Saturday in Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius, a month after a grounded Japanese ship leaked over 1,000 tons of fuel oil into the island’s fragile marine areas.

They denounced the government’s handling of the oil spill and demanded its resignation. The protesters waved the country’s flag and shouted messages such as “You have no shame”.

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Locals and environment activists have asked for an investigation into why the ship strayed miles off course. The spill has been a severe blow to the island’s tourism industry, on top of the coronavirus pandemic.

At least 39 dead dolphins have washed ashore and experts fear the fuel’s chemicals may be to blame.

There are concerns that the wreckage could also weaken coral reefs and the fragile ecosystem of the island’s mangroves.

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