Community says logging shipwreck causing oil spill, environmental damage in Makira

The shipwreck in Makira

Residents of the Maniwiriwiri community in central Makira are calling on the Ministry of Environment to assess the environmental impact of a log ship that wrecked at the Waimahui log pond in the area.

Speaking on behalf of people in the Maniwiriwiri community in Makira Ulawa Province, Sam Kelly told SIBC the wrecked MV Serenity was diverting waves and causing damage to nearby coconut plantations.

He said oil spillage from the ship, which has been left in the area for three weeks now, has polluted the sea in the area.

“We don’t want it to stay there any longer, because we have already seen the damage that it has caused,” he said.

“We want it to go”.

Mr Kelly said the Middle Island logging company that operates the ship should work with its overseas owners to move the ship from the area.

The Middle Island ship is the second vessel shipwrecked in the area.

Another one, owned by a different company, has been stranded in the area since earlier this decade.

By Allen Waitara 

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