The Department of Environment has lifted a ban previously put in place to prohibit the public from fishing and carrying out recreational activities in areas contaminated from a sewer spill.
The decision to lift the ban was made in consultation with an inter-agency committee comprising of relevant stakeholders including the Fiji Police Force and the Water Authority of Fiji.
After 30 days of the environment emergency declaration as a result of a sewer line spill, the inter-agency committee monitoring the situation made the following decisions based on the water quality and fish monitoring tests that were conducted.
- Fishing and swimming is now permitted for the Rewa river mouth areas;
- Fishing and swimming is now permitted for Nukulau Island. However, collections of sea shell, shellfish and sea weed is prohibited; and
- the foreshore beginning from the Fiji Development Bank to the Police Post at My Suva Park is now suitable for fishing and swimming.
The public is advised that the following areas are still declared as “no fishing and no swimming” zones:
- Vatuwaqa river;
- Cunningham river; and
- The area enclosed within coastline, beginning from the Police Post at My Suva Park to the mouth of Laqere and extending seawards to 500m from the high water mark.
The public is advised to exercise high level of caution while in areas close to “no fishing and no swimming zones”.
MEDIA RELEASE