ONE of the Solomon Islands environmental actors has called on the Solomon Islands Government through its various ministries to consider the high number wreckage and its pollution that went unnoticed.
Lawrence Makili said he understands there’s a current program of ocean clean that has been carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine resources and Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Disaster Management.
Makili said he wants those ministries to collaborate with the Solomon Islands Maritime Safety Authority (SIMSA) to ensure those companies who owns the ship wreckages along the coastlines and reefs should take responsible for their damages as well as clean-up of the wreckage sites.
“I want to raise this call because it is becoming knowable that apart from the recent Rennell wreckage, many of the wreckages both local some foreign fishing vessels have went unnoticed,” Makili said.
He said the wreckage has done a lot of damages to the coral reefs and ecosystems but nothing has been done by the responsible authorities.
Makili said he understand that the ocean campaign program is currently underway to highlight the importance of cleaning the ocean and yet no measures is being made to ensure those companies who owns those wreckage must be responsible for their clean ups.
He said one of the examples is the two foreign long-line fishing vessels that got stuck on the Lord Howe reefs just this year.
“After the vessel got stuck on the reef, all the captain and its crews abandoned the vessel and now the two vessels destroys our coral reefs and its habitats,” he said.
Makili said it is a great concern that the responsible authorities with the government must take serious measures to address.
By IAN M.KAUKUI
