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

from the Office of Environment and Conservation, Department of East Sepik, affectedcommunities and non-governmental organisations in Wewak. The two-day meeting had beenorganised following concerns that the project was being developed without full consultationwith communities that would be affected and that the people had not been informed on howthey would benefit. There have also been concerns raised, as well on the possible effects theproject would have on the environment. The project is a joint venture between Angco Ltd andAmerican firm Starkist. The East Sepik Provincial Government and PNG Harbours Board arefinancing the site preparation work which got underway early last month. Their contributionswould be translated to equity stakes once the project proper got under way. The project site islocated on the seafront close to the Provincial Government offices, the Harbours Board andinternationally renowned hotel, the Windjammer. At yesterday's meeting officers from theDepartment of East Sepik and the Office of Environment and Conservation were taken to taskover the environmental issues, especially the discharge from the project into the shoreline.Concerns were raised that the shoreline could be polluted. However, presenting the draftenvironmental report to the meeting, consultant John Douglas of Douglas EnvironmentalServices said the major issues had been accommodated in the plan and that the developerswould be putting in place new and extensive systems that would ensure they were effectivelycontrolled and managed. These include issues on waste water treatment and discharge, sludgedisposal, smell and noise. Project co-ordinator and Department of East Sepik Fisheries adviserJoachim Nianguma said in a statement that calls in the media for a halt to work on the projecthad been misleading. He said while the environmental plan was still in draft stages, the NationalPhysical Planning Board had given approval for site work to commence. No construction workwill be done until the environmental plan has been approved. Mr Nianguma said legal actioncould not be taken against the developer because no actual construction work on the project hadstarted.2. Wewak Urban LLG letter of 27 June 2005Acting Town Manager Daniel Yakeri sent a letter to the factory on 27 June itemizing theconcerns of local residents to some of the environmental conditions they had observed. In it, hewrites:Following a complaint raised by the general public and the local people of Meni Villageon the 02 nd of May, 2005, we (the Wewak Urban LLG) executed the environmentalhealth inspection of the problem site on the same date 11:00 am.The results of our inspection are as follows:1. That the scum (undisgested floatable wastes) from the digestion tanks had beendischarged into the sea which were then washed up onto the beachfronts from the MobilOil to Meni Village.These wastes are believed to be from Wewak Tuna Loining Factory which, according toour close observation originated from the undigested organiz fish wastes due to thephysical appearance and the smell of the same.2. The samples of wastes collected produced the same smell as the smell regularlyproduced by the factory wastes.70