NEW IRELAND — Papua New Guinea's government has warned communities along parts of the New Ireland coastline not to fish after initial testing by an independent company detected metals in water samples taken from areas around Kafkaf village and Larairu lagoon. Authorities advised residents not to consume fish or seafood from the affected waters until further testing is completed.

"The results indicate the presence of poisonous minerals in the marine environment and further investigations are continuing." fisheries minister Jelta Wong said. Authorities said no conclusions have been reached regarding the source of the metal substances found in the water.

Concern was first raised in December 2025 when residents on New Ireland's coast began reporting unusual numbers of dead fish washing ashore, with the communities of Kafkaf and Mangai most affected. Reef fish were found floating dead in shallow waters with swollen eyes, damaged skin, and discoloured flesh. The seawater smelled strongly of sulphur and appeared cloudy or discoloured during low tide.

At least 11 villages and more than 1,250 people have been affected through illness or contaminated food and water. Some residents have reported health problems after swimming or fishing in the affected waters.

In January, provincial authorities declared Kafkaf an environmental hazard and contaminated zone. New Ireland's governor 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.

Independent environmental organisation Ailan Awareness 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. Marine conservation advocate John Aini warned that the scale of marine deaths pointed to a serious ecological disturbance affecting reef systems and coastal biodiversity, and said the slow response from authorities had left communities without much-needed assistance.

"The communities are frightened because they rely entirely on the ocean for food security and livelihoods." Aini said. Commercial and subsistence fishing take place in New Ireland, and communities continue to face food shortages and economic hardship as fishing activities were suspended.

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

"We are suffering because the sea is our supermarket and our garden." Piwas said. "Mothers cannot feed their children fish any more. People are getting sick."

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