Anyone caught breaking environment laws will now be taken to task following the appointment of seven environment prosecutors.

Minister for Environment, Dr Mahendra Reddy, says this will help them enforce the environment laws and take legal action against those who will not abide by the provisions under the law.

Dr Reddy adds that these prosecutors will now be able to track illegal activities that affect our environment and ensure sustainability.

“This training has led our environment officers to better understand the requirements of prosecution and equipping them to undertake prosecution matters in a more timely manner. But more so, be able to correct the right type of information, the right data and also present it in a manner which will convince the court about the thing that are being put forward too.”

Director of Public Prosecution Christopher Pryde says these appointments will send a strong message to individuals and companies.

“The appointment of prosecutors for the Department of Environment sends a strong signal to the public of Fiji and the wider world that people and companies that infringe Fiji’s environmental laws will be dealt with swift and severely.”

Meanwhile, the Environment Minister reiterated that the ultimate purpose for tracking and prosecuting environment crime is to ensure Fiji’s natural environment enjoys a premier level of protection.