The residents of Naseakula Village in Labasa are left in the dark about the mysterious discovery of dead fish floating in a river within their neighbourhood.

Almost two years after the incident was initially reported, the villagers waited in vain for the cause to be ascertained by the relevant authorities.

The villagers demand immediate action as the issue has escalated and continues to affect their livelihood.

Mereseini Manuku says it has made a lot of alterations in the environment.

“We have noticed that the colours of the fish would change every now and then. At times, the river would be green … we do not know what causes the change in colour. We would also see oil floating on the surface of the river.”

Another resident, Ledua Vakayatu says their hope hangs in the balance, as they worry about their future if the matter is not settled by authorities.

“Over the years, it is starting to decline. A little more waste has been poured down the river since the beginning. The women already find it hard to fish in those areas … they have made up their mind not to fish there anymore because there is basically no fish there.”

In response, the Department of Environment Senimili Nakora says that they have prioritized the investigation to help prevent further harm to the environment.

“So, we do not want to blame any particular company or industry … and given that the dead fish was seen floating in the river and there is a number of industrial facilities operating within that area.”

The Department of Environment assures that they will carry out a thorough investigation as there are a lot of industrial facilities in the area and there could be multiple factors that led to the incident, ensuring that the outcome of the investigation is accurate.