Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) plans to send its only cruiseship on a visit to Mauritius as part of a raft of measures designed to help the island recover from the recent bulker grounding incident.

The 22,500-gt Nippon Maru (built 1990) is tentatively scheduled to visit the Indian Ocean island in 2022, the shipowner confirmed on Friday.

MOL said it plans to contribute total funds of about ¥1bn ($9.4m) over several years to help in the protecting and restoration of the island’s natural environment and to support local non-profit organisations engaged in environmental issues and the fishing industry.

The Japanese ministry of the environment has already dispatched experts to Mauritius to conduct mid and long-term environmental monitoring and consider measures to restore the environment.

MOL said it will implement several projects in cooperation with the ministry, including a mangrove protection and nurturing project, a coral reef recovery project and conduct research into rare species of seabirds.

These initiatives will be done in collaboration with numerous universities and research institutes and the Japan Society for Mangroves, MOL said.

They will be carried out under the auspices of Mauritius Natural Environment Recovery Fund, which will be open to contributions from the public, including companies and individuals.

MOL said Japan’s Nagashiki Shipping, the owner of the 203,000-dwt Wakashio (built 2007), has expressed interest in joining the fund, but the extent of its contribution was not disclosed.

MOL said it “continually engages” in efforts to resolve the situation in Mauritius and restore the environment in cooperation with local authorities in Mauritius and Japan, other concerned parties around the world, and the shipowner.

On Wednesday, the preliminary findings of an investigation by Panama into the loss of the Wakashio has confirmed that the vessel diverted because its crew was seeking a wifi network and mobile phone connection to contact families.

The bulker grounded on 25 July, spilling 1,000 tonnes of fuel oil and causing widespread pollution to Mauritius' beaches and coastline.