Fishy business. The Social Impact of SST.pdf - Act Now!

ang when I came home and the PRO eventually answered and treated he matter as a joke. Andsaid he would not speak to me as I was angry. I rang the Manager the next day and complainedat the way I was treated. He claimed he was out at the treatment plant trying to reduce the smell,when I was there. He saw me coming along the beach. He says I saw him. However, I wasunaware that I may have, though I did see a group of Security officers in the distance. Theywaved at me as I was walking along the beach trying to find a suitable place to enter. It was atthis time I was directed to the gate where I communicated through the security guards who werevery polite and understanding.(This could be understood as a struggle between two excolonial interlopers, but for the obvioussmell that everyone suffers here).____________________________________________________________________________Marist brothersPO Box 107Wewak10-6-05The Editor,Post Courier,Port Moresby‘Fish smell in Wewak is nauseating’Dear Sir,It is past the time when the community should be heard on the issue of the location of fishprocessing factories near residential areas in our towns. I live but a stone’s throw from theSouth Seas factory in Wewak. Too often the foul smell coming from the factory is near tonauseating. But, the winds carry the stinking are well beyond where I live! Most of our visitorsare amazed that such a situation is allowed to happen in an enlightened country such as ours---intimes when the public is generally conscious of the evil of pollution. The reasons for thelocation, I suggest, are economic. Companies want to take advantage of the already existinginfrastructure, that has been provided for the residential community—wharves, roads and watersupply, but most significantly within walking distance of a cheap labour force (no need toprovide housing). Amongst the misinformation provided before the building of the factory, wewere assured that there would not be any bad smell. That of course was a complete lie. Themanagement now tells me that I was totally naïve to believe that such a factory could existwithout a foul smell. What the lie really meant was that the smell would be less offensive thanin similar factories. I have been recently told, by the management, that there is technologyavailable for reducing the smell coming from the waste treatment plant., the main culprit. Butsuch technology is very expensive and the overseas ownership (probably in air-conditionedodourless comfort) will not provide the capital needed. They need to get back the capital alreadycommitted, before such a luxury as a nonproductive venture could be considered. There is talkof further fish processing being established---even in Wewak. May our representatives be ableto stipulate that such development occur away from down-wind residential communities.Yours sincerely,(Br) Bertrand Webster____________________________________________________________________________190