The Vanua of Sabeto has made it clear today that while they support business operations in the area, they must never come at the expense of the environment.

This strong stance follows a meeting involving the Ministry of Environment, the Environment Subcommittee of the Vanua, and Lion One Metals Company, responsible for the discharge of wastewater from its mining operations, which has affected fish and eel populations in the Sabeto River.

The Ministry of Environment has told FBC News that villagers should refrain from using the river until a full assessment is completed and clearance is given by the department.

Director of Mineral Resources Apete Soro says further testing is underway.

“Environment has highlighted that they’ll need a week to work together with the Water Authority to finalize the analysis results of the water samples they’ve collected. To basically determine if the water is safe.”

Soro says he has requested the Vanua to allow for at least a week.

Meanwhile, Chair of the Environment Subcommittee of the Vanua, Pauliasi Natabe, has expressed disappointment in the way both the company and government responded to the incident.

He says although the mining company has only been operating in the area for two years, this is exactly the kind of incident they had long feared.

Natabe adds that other businesses also operate in Sabeto, and all the Vanua has asked for is respect for the environment.

“We want everyone to enjoy what Sabeto has got to offer. So it is incumbent on business operators who operate within our lands to make sure that they adhere to the highest and strictest environmental standards. We have to be good stewards of the environment, and that’s one of the key messages that we want to get across.”

While the company has initiated discussions around compensation, Natabe confirms that the Vanua has set up a committee to ensure fair and proper compensation is provided.

They have also called on the company to release a full report detailing the cause of the incident.

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