Five months after a major marine crisis began in Papua New Guinea’s New Ireland Province, authorities still cannot confirm what caused it. The event started on 11 December 2025, when fish began dying in Larairu Lagoon near Kafkaf Village. Within weeks, marine die-offs spread along the coast, with community monitors recording 3,451 dead marine organisms from more than 15 species. Hundreds of residents also reported skin burns and respiratory symptoms after contact with seawater, while many families stopped fishing and children stopped swimming. A preliminary report produced by Papua New Guinea’s Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) in April 2026, based on investigations conducted in February, found that the cause remains undetermined. Ocean Rising reviewed the report and found it reveals significant gaps in the investigation, despite months of concern and growing international attention. While media outlets including The Guardian, AFP, Mongabay and Inside Climate News have reported on the impacts on local communities, the report highlights how much remains unknown about the source of the contamination and the scale of the environmental crisis.
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