PNG Warns of Metal Contamination After Marine Deaths in New Ireland

Papua New Guinea’s government has warned communities not to fish from parts of the New Ireland coastline after preliminary tests showed evidence of metals in some water samples, following months of residents reporting dead marine life in the area.

Fisheries Minister Jelta Wong said on 7 May that initial testing by an independent company detected various metals in water samples from affected areas around Kafkaf village and Larairu lagoon in New Ireland, an island in eastern PNG.

“The results indicate the presence of poisonous minerals in the marine environment and further investigations are continuing,” Wong said at a press conference.

Concern first emerged in December 2025, when residents along New Ireland’s coast began reporting unusual numbers of dead fish washing ashore, with the communities of Kafkaf and Mangai most affected.

Commercial and subsistence fishing occur in New Ireland, and independent environmental organization Ailan Awareness has conducted assessments indicating that at least 11 villages and more than 1,250 people have been affected through illness or contaminated food and water.

Residents reported reef fish floating dead in shallow waters with swollen eyes, damaged skin and discolored flesh, and within weeks the number of marine animal deaths rose, alarming communities heavily dependent on the ocean for food and income.

Some residents have reported health problems after swimming or fishing in the affected waters, describing the seawater as having a strong sulfur-like smell and appearing cloudy or discolored during low tide.

Authorities have warned communities not to consume fish or seafood from the affected waters until further testing is completed, stating that no conclusions have been reached regarding the source of the metal substances found.

Investigations involving national agencies, independent scientists and international laboratories continue as authorities attempt to determine the full extent of contamination and whether long-term environmental damage has occurred along New Ireland’s east coast.

In January, provincial authorities declared Kafkaf an environmental hazard and contaminated zone after continued reports of marine deaths and illness among residents.

New Ireland Governor Byron Chan told parliament in March that the unexplained fish deaths had become a major environmental and public health concern and called on the national government to take urgent action.

The national government has faced criticism for failing to act more quickly and for lack of immediate assistance to affected villages.

Marine conservation advocate John Aini said the slow response from authorities had left communities without much-needed assistance, describing the situation as “total neglect in our time of crisis”.

Kafkaf community leader Martha Piwas said families have stopped fishing as fears grew over contamination of marine food sources.

“We are suffering because the sea is our supermarket and our garden,” Piwas told local media.

“Mothers cannot feed their children fish any more. People are getting sick.”

She said many people in the village depended entirely on fishing for their survival but no longer felt they could safely enter the water.

Ailan Awareness, led by conservationist John Aini, conducted a five-day coastal assessment in March across affected communities and documented more than 3,400 dead marine organisms across at least 15 species.

Aini warned that the scale of marine deaths pointed to a serious ecological disturbance affecting reef systems and coastal biodiversity, and residents said communities continue to face food shortages and economic hardship as fishing activities were suspended.

“The communities are frightened because they rely entirely on the ocean for food security and livelihoods,” Aini said.