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Solomon Islands Government supports landowners to push for biggest oil spill compensation claim

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The Solomon Islands Government is supporting the landowners of Kangava Bay, East Rennell by joining a compensation claim against international companies responsible for a monumental oil spill in February 2019.

Considered the biggest environmental disaster in Solomon Islands’ history, the grounding of the MV Solomon Trader and the subsequent oil spill caused environmental devastation at Rennell Island. A first-of-its-kind claim in both collaboration and magnitude, the Government and landowners have joined as co-claimants to pursue a group of international companies for environmental and other damages.

The compensation claim was filed in the High Court in Honiara today by the landowners of the Kangava Bay Community East Rennell Island and the Attorney General on behalf of the Solomon Islands Government.

Acting jointly with the landowners in the matter, the Attorney-General Mr John Muria Jnr will lead the Solomon Islands Government in the claim.

“We wish to ensure that companies act within local and international maritime and environmental laws and those that don’t need to be held to account,” said Attorney-General John Muria Jnr.

Solomon Islands Minister of Environment Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology Trevor Mahaga, points out that “while East Rennell is a remote area, its environmental importance cannot be overstated and significant damage was done to this important part of our country and despite the generous clean-up assistance from Australia and New Zealand at the time, the residents continue to be impacted.”

Neither the Kangava Community nor the Solomon Islands Government have received any assistance or compensation from the parties that is allegedly responsible.

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-GCU Press Release 

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