The focus last week has been very political with the termination of Laauli Leuatea Schmidt as a cabinet minister. While it was the biggest thing happening in the country, let us not forget about the plight of the villages on the south coast of Upolu.

For over three months, the villages on the coast of the Safata District have been unable to fish, swim or partake in water activities. For hundreds of years, the sea has been the livelihood of the villages. The villages catch fish for sustenance and economic prosperity.

This all changed on 6 October 2024. The New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Manawanui sank off the coast of Tafitoala. A week after the ship sank, local authorities discovered that diesel contamination had occurred. They found this through tests they were carrying out. However, the authorities stayed quiet.

The villagers, on the other hand, had gone out fishing and discovered that the catch they had made was covered in diesel. This led to a fishing ban being declared, which to date is in place. This ban although for the good of the people impacted by the environmental disaster is affecting the lives of more than a thousand Samoans.

Their bread and butter has been impacted. Many are scrounging for money to feed their families because they cannot turn to the ocean for food and income. Schools will start in a few weeks and many families are worried that they will be faced with major financial woes.

Since the Manawanui sank, there has been very little government interaction with the villages. Many have publicly commented that they are in the dark about what is going on. All they see are government workers who come and collect the samples of seawater for testing.

It was October when the ship struck the reef. Since then, the government has been on a whirlwind trip overseas to collect funds for the 2026 general elections. There have been no announcements about relief efforts for impacted families.

The district council has also made no effort to provide financial help to families who rely on fishing for their livelihoods. There are a few businesses in the area that also rely on the sea, especially for tourism. These businesses have had no visitors since the boat sank.

Three months with no government action is a long time and it also says a lot about the focus of the government. Yes, there is internal friction within the ruling party but that does not mean that people who are in need are forgotten. It is time to get the act together.

Our friends, the New Zealand government has been very quiet about the environmental disaster they have created. The Commission of Inquiry into the sinking found in its initial report that the Manawanui disaster was because of human error. It was found that the autopilot feature was not switched off causing the ship to hit the reef and eventually sink.

More than 200,000 litres of diesel sipped into the ocean. This has led to the contamination warranting a fishing ban. The conservation area for giant clams has also been contaminated. In all of this, the government of New Zealand has also failed to take responsibility for the ecological disaster.

New Zealand’s prime minister Christopher Luxon, when in Samoa, played it coy and said compensation would be an issue for the two governments to discuss. The people of Samoa are grateful that all efforts are being made to remove the 900,000 litres of diesel from the fuel tanks under the sea but the New Zealand government needs to take responsibility for the disaster.

The government is urged to look into the plight of the villages in the Safata district and at the same time start a conversation with New Zealand to seek compensation for the ecological disaster they are responsible for.