Peceli Naviticoko 
[Photo: PECELI NAVITICOKO]
Fish vendors in Labasa are calling on the government to allocate funding in the upcoming 2026-2027 national budget to repair the Fisheries Department’s ice plant, which has been out of service for an extended period.
The breakdown has forced vendors to source ice from private suppliers at significantly higher prices, adding further pressure to operating costs already impacted by rising fuel prices and the high cost of living.
Vendors say restoring the facility would provide much-needed relief for those who depend on ice daily to preserve seafood and maintain their businesses.
Fish vendor Iowana Rogoiwaqa says the closure of the ice plant has increased vendors’ expenses from $7 to $20 per sack.
“I hope the government can also focus on repairing the Fisheries ice plant in Labasa because we are now buying ice from Tebara for more than $20 a sack, compared to about $7 per sack when the Fisheries ice plant was operating. The government needs to invest in fixing it because it has been out of service for quite some time.”
Rogoiwaqa says the facility has experienced recurring breakdowns over the years, but this year’s closure has been one of the longest, with repairs often lasting only a short time before the plant becomes inoperable again.
More than 50 registered fish vendors operate from the Labasa Fish Market, in addition to fishermen and other businesses that rely on a consistent and affordable supply of ice for storage and daily operations.
Vendors believe repairing the ice plant would help reduce business costs, improve fish preservation, and provide direct support to one of the North’s important fisheries hubs.
