Nari to test samples of fish

By PETER ESOP WARI
THE Southern Highlands provincial government has sent samples of water and dead and live fish to the National Agricultural Research Institute at Aiyura in Eastern Highlands to find out why fish were dying at Lake Kutubu.
The samples were collected by a team sent by the provincial government to Kutubu after landowners called on the provincial government to help them find out the cause of the deaths.
Provincial adviser for the Agriculture and Livestock division, Kenneth Kuim Toap, said tests were being carried out on the mysterious deaths.
Toap said a chemical spill from the LNG developer was said to be the cause of deaths, according to the landowners, but Esso Highlands Ltd refuted the claims, saying there was no evidence linking the fish deaths to any construction activity undertaken as part of the PNG LNG project.
“We cannot go ahead and pinpoint somebody without proper evidence and I appeal to the 7,000-plus people who benefit from the lake to stay calm as the tests are underway,” Toap said.
He said according to reports, villagers saw dead fish floating since Dec 29 and had expressed concern as the lake was everything to them.
“Once the tests are completed and if it was due to chemical spill from LNG developer, then the LNG developers will shoulder the blame,” Toap said.
He it was an environmental issue.
Esso confirmed receiving a letter from the landowners expressing their concerns and the Department of Environment had coordinated an evaluation and no evidence was found linking industry activities to the dead fish.