News

Lion One blames error for river contamination

May 26, 2025 3:27 pm

Sabeto River, where numerous dead fish were found.

Lion One Metals Limited has admitted to the discharge of wastewater that contains slightly higher than usual copper levels, which affected some species of fish in the Sabeto River in Nadi.

This afternoon, the company said the discharge was carried out last Thursday between 7pm and 11pm.

Complaints have been raised by residents in the nearby area, who claim they have been fishing from the River, and are unaware that it is contaminated.

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In the statement, the company says tilapia fish were generally unaffected.

It claims that the impact was limited to the SML boundary and that they have not seen any impact further downstream than their boundary.

The company acknowledges that the incident was caused by human error as a result of a verbal miscommunication between their mill operations team and their environmental department.

Lion One Metals Limited has also apologized to the Vanua of Sabeto and its people if the company came up short, claiming they pride themselves on their commitment to the environment and the safety of employees.

It adds that remedial and permanent solutions to the matter, including compensation for the loss of fish, are being detailed by their environment team and the relevant government agencies.

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