Papua New Guinea warns against fishing in New Ireland after mystery deaths of marine life
Papua New Guinea's government has issued a warning against fishing in parts of New Ireland due to the discovery of metals in water samples. This follows months of reports from residents about dead marine life washing ashore. Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of contamination and the potential long-term environmental impact.
- ▪Initial tests revealed the presence of poisonous minerals in the marine environment.
- ▪At least 11 villages and over 1,250 people have been affected by illness or contaminated food and water.
- ▪Residents have reported health issues after interacting with the contaminated waters.
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Dead fish on the shore in Kafkaf village on the Papua New Guinea island of New Ireland in March. Photograph: Sebastian VelasquezView image in fullscreenDead fish on the shore in Kafkaf village on the Papua New Guinea island of New Ireland in March. Photograph: Sebastian VelasquezPapua New GuineaPapua New Guinea warns against fishing in New Ireland after mystery deaths of marine lifeInitial testing found evidence of metals in water samples, months after province’s residents began reporting unusual numbers of dead fish washing ashoreRebecca Bush in Port MoresbyWed 20 May 2026 20.52 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GooglePapua New Guinea’s government has warned communities not to fish from parts of the New Ireland coastline as preliminary tests show evidence of metals in some water samples,…
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