Png Ministers Differ
p. 28 · Read in the full issue
On Reef Blasting
Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Agriculture, Dr John Guise, conn sidered a Defence Force explosives team destroyed a natural wonder] when it blew out a reef in Snake!
Passage at Tagula Island in the Louisiade area. But Mr Albert Maori Kiki, Minister for Defence, Foreign Relations and Trade, argued that the team did no more than de molish two coral outcrops in the entrance of the channel, which had long been a danger to shipping.
The team did not destroy a major reef formation or do any lasting damage to marine life he said. In fact, it created a safe boat channel, 25 ft deep and 50 ft wide, to allow easy access for ships. The work had been done at the request of the Dis trict Commissioner, and one of his staff was able to see the whole
operation.
Dr Guise earlier claimed that the original request to blow the passage came from the now defunct District Advisory Committee, which had no authority to go beyond an advisory function. He asked for the task force to be recalled immediately.