Call to remove Honiara seafront wreckages
The Tandai House of Chiefs is calling the national government and responsible authorities to remove all shipwrecks from the Honiara seafront.
Daniel Donua, General Secretary, THC
General Secretary of the Tandai House of Chiefs, Daniel Donua said the shipwrecks pose great environmental concern and are an eyesore to the Honiara city.
Donua said as customary owners of Honiara foreshore, they are very concerned about this and want all shipwrecks from Ranadi in east Honiara to the western end of the city be removed as soon as possible.
“The 2023 Pacific Games is just around the corner, and as such, the seafront wreckages need to be cleared as we prepare to have overseas visitors to our shores.
“It is important for the national government and responsible authorities to remove this because the wrecks will release harmful metals and chemicals that could potentially hurt the marine environment,” Mr Donua said.
Donua said the Solomon Islands Maritime Safety Administration (SIMSA) should act on this issue.
“Being the first responding office, they should not neglect their work,” he said.
The outspoken Donua said they will write to the Ministry of Environment urging them to start work on this.
He also urged ship owners to manage their wastes and not to discard them carelessly into the sea. This also applies to travelers.
“I call on SIMSA to inspect these ships and see if they have proper waste management systems in place, and also ship owners and the travelling public to discharge their wastes properly, ” he said.
Donua adds, they have also discovered 17 sewage pipes when they conducted an assessment along Honiara seafront using an Out-board motor boat and drove along the coastline.
“We will also be submitting a letter to the Honiara City Council (HCC) to address this. The pipes carry sewage which discharges directly into the Honiara waterfronts and contaminates the shoreline.
“HCC needs to properly manage this as well. We need to clean our city so that it can also be one of the best in the Pacific,” Donua said
by Jared Koli