Oil spillage sparks concerns

Oil. Photo: Supplied.

 

Concerns have surfaced over what was believed to be oil patches being discharged at sea near the Lungga River mouth in East Honiara.

Passengers returning from Auki onboard MV Fair Glory over the weekend said they havd spotted what appeared  to be thick black oil patches floating near the river mouth.

Many had expressed grave environmental concerns if what they saw was dirty oil being deliberately dispatched onto the water.

Among the passengers was SIBC’s North Malaita stringer John Andrew Kiri who witnessed what was believed to be thick patches of dirty oil floating on the water.

“Many passengers were watching from the vessel’s port bow and we can see clearly what looks like thick black dirty oil patches floating everywhere in the area believed to be drained out from the foreign boats floating around the Iron Bottom Sound sea area,” he said.

“What I gathered from discussions about this was that these foreign boats could be draining out dirty oil in our waters”.

Mr Kiri called on responsible authorities to check out the spillage as it poses grave environmental concerns for the country’s marine resources.

“Are they aware of such activities taking place in our waters, why because when we saw these thick black oil patches floating a few kilometres on the ocean it raises grave concerns for us as it pollutes our oceans – waters described by recent reports as being the healthiest in tuna resources in the Pacific region”.

By: Rickson Bau. 

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