Working Conditions Aboard the Marion-Dufresne

On November 4, the 'Marion Dufresne', while navigating from La Réunion, experienced an oil leak that resulted in a discharge of 800 centiliters of oil each hour, approximately 25 nautical miles from Mauritius's western coastline. In response, the Oil Contingency Plan was activated involving the Mauritius Ports Authority and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Following its arrival in Port Louis on November 5, it was determined that the vessel would undergo essential repairs at the Indian Ocean Shipyard (CNOI).

The research vessel 'Marion Dufresne', which had commenced its third annual supply mission to the remote subantarctic islands of Crozet, Kerguelen, and Saint-Paul-et-Amsterdam, faced an unexpected setback shortly after departing from La Réunion on October 29. The vessel was diverted to Mauritius where it entered drydock at the CNOI shipyard to address an issue with its starboard side propeller shaft. Following the repair completion, the ship is expected to adjust its operational schedule to efficiently meet the logistical demands of the southern archipelagos and support their scientific research bases.

On April 24, 2020, the 'Marion Dufresne', a supply vessel en route to La Réunion for the OP1-2020 rotation, made a significant course adjustment to conduct vital medical evacuations in the Kerguelen archipelago. The ship was tasked with retrieving a personnel member from the Port-aux-Français base and an injured fisherman who had been disembarked from the fishing vessel 'Ile de la Réunion II'. After successfully carrying out these missions, the 'Marion Dufresne' continued its journey back to La Réunion. It is important to note that the health issues faced by the two evacuees were not related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The TAAF agent had been stationed at Kerguelen for over eight months, and the fisherman had adhered to strict health protocols, including containment and screening, prior to departing from La Réunion. Remarkably, after three weeks of navigating through the uncharted southern seas, the 'Marion Dufresne' reported no cases of coronavirus onboard. The French Southern and Antarctic Lands remain free of COVID-19 cases, thus operating within stage 1 of the epidemic response.