Key findings:
- Environmental degradation is widespread: Rivers run red, mangroves are dying, and fish stocks have collapsed—devastating local livelihoods.
- Communities, especially women, are suffering: With polluted waters and barren fishing grounds, families struggle to find food and clean water.
- Health system under strain: A lone Clinic serving over 2000 people is overwhelmed by rising cases of injuries, malaria, and food poisoning—linked to mining activity.
- Marine ecosystems at risk: A local Marine Specialist warn that sedimentation is suffocating coral reefs, seagrass beds, and vital fish nurseries.
- Community voices ignored: Villagers say repeated complaints to authorities have gone unheard, deepening frustration and distrust.
- Weak government enforcement: Government officials admit they are understaffed and unable to adequately monitor or regulate mining activities.
- Mining companies admit shortcomings: Two Mining Companies operators acknowledged environmental missteps and outlined corrective actions.
Thousand Ships Bay, located on the southern coast of Isabel Province, was once a place of life, culture, and abundance. Its clear waters and rich marine life fed generations and connected communities.
Now it stands on the brink of ecological collapse.
At the heart of this unfolding crisis is a booming, largely unregulated mining industry, rushing to cash in on Isabel’s prized nickel reserves.
In May 2025, In-depth Solomons undertook an investigative journey to the bay, spurred by growing alarm over environmental degradation, health and safety risks, and rising community unrest.
The trip revealed a region in distress with villagers demanding answers from authorities.
A Nickel Rush, an Island at Risk
Three mining companies have camps in and around the Bay, a site of historical and cultural significance. The bay earned its name from Spanish explorer Álvaro de Mendaña, during his 1568 voyage, upon seeing the expanse of the harbour.
Its calm, deep waters made it an ideal strategic location, and it remains a symbol of Isabel Province’s role in the broader wartime history of the Solomon Islands.
Two of the mining firms – Pacific Nickel Mines Kolosori Limited (PNMKL) at Havihua and Solomon Islands Resources Company Limited (SIRCL) at Suma – are in full swing.
A third, Far East Resources Company Limited, has established a base on San Jorge Island and is awaiting approval to begin operations.
Fueled by global demand for nickel, which is essential in electric vehicle batteries and tech, the province is fast becoming a mining hotspot. But the price being paid by the environment and the communities that depend on it may be irreversible.
A Rising Tide of Contamination
Villages such as Fanavi, Lelegia and Talise are among the most severely affected. Residents describe scenes once thought unthinkable, including red-tinged rivers, mangroves swallowed by silt, and once-bountiful fishing grounds now barren.
In Fanavi, Sophia Te’u recalls a time when their local stream runs clear.
“Now, after rain, it turns red and smells like fuel. It’s not safe,” a worrying Te’u tells In-depth Solomons.
For Benard Seni, a fisherman in Lelegia, the sea’s transformation is deeply personal.
“We depend on the sea to live, but it’s dying. Fish are gone, mangroves are dying fast. Even shells are filled with mud now. This all started with the mining,” Seni said.
“We’ve raised concerns with officials, but our voices are ignored. Our leaders do nothing while people suffer,” says Jessie Francis, also from Lelegia.
Across the bay, on San Jorge Island, women are bearing the brunt. Tasked with collecting food and water, they now shoulder the daily burden of survival, as mining operations continue on the mainland.
“Women are searching far and wide to find protein sources like mud-shells,” says Muriel Ofovaka, a women leader from Talise.
“The spillover of soil into the ocean has polluted our reefs where seafood once bred,” she tells In-depth Solomons.
Health Care in Crisis
At the San Jorge Rural Health Centre, Nurse Cominis Tada is witnessing the human cost firsthand.
“Injuries, malaria, food poisoning, everything is getting worse,” he says.
Tada reports that many workers lack even basic protective gear.
Photo: Ben Bilua
Even mosquito nets are in short supply. The clinic, which serves over 2,000 people from five communities, is under-equipped for what’s coming.
“The pollution is affecting our food and water. If this continues, we’ll see a health crisis we’re not prepared for,” he warns.
A Fragile Ecosystem on the Brink
Dr Lindon Havimana, a marine scientist at the Solomon Islands National University (SINU), says the bay’s ecological significance cannot be overstated.
“Thousand Ships Bay is a natural nursery. It sustains life from plankton to pelagic fish like bonito,” Havimana tells journalist Ben Bilua, who contributed to this story.
Mangroves and seagrass beds, which are critical for marine breeding, are being smothered by runoff. Coral reefs, once vibrant, are beginning to collapse under the weight of sediment.
“If we lose this ecosystem, we lose more than biodiversity. We will lose heritage, food security, and a way of life,” Havimana warns.
A Cry for Accountability
For Fr John Pungusia, a retired Anglican priest and former journalist now residing at Talise, the silence from the government is deafening.
“We had clean water, fresh food. Now, hunting and fishing are barely possible. The government is failing to protect us,” Pungusia tells In-depth Solomons.
He points the finger at authorities prioritizing foreign investors, who are often the same actors once linked to destructive logging operations.
“When the companies leave, the damage stays. And it could be permanent,” he added.
Government Admits Shortfalls
Officials from both the Ministry of Mines and the Ministry of Environment admit they are overwhelmed and under-resourced.
“We’re critically understaffed,” says Krista Jacob Tatapu, Director of Mines.
“One officer is covering four provinces. It’s unsustainable,” Tatapu told In-depth Solomons in an interview.
Tatapu confirmed that a recent inspection revealed serious breaches, which includes poor waste management systems, sediment mismanagement, and unpaid worker contributions.
“These findings will go to the Mines and Minerals Board for possible disciplinary action,” she says.
Director of Environment Josef Hurutarau echoed similar concerns.
“Our response has been too slow. We haven’t returned to Isabel this year except once. It was just an escort for the Gao-Bugotu MP,” Hurutarau told In-depth Solomons.
Hurutarau says a local officer is now stationed in Buala to gather evidence and pressure companies to comply, but enforcement remains weak.
“This will make our work a bit easier, in terms of monitoring and compliance,” he added.
Mining Companies Respond Amid Rising Concerns
In a rare move, two of the companies acknowledged shortcomings.
SIRC General Manager Tony Liu admitted environmental missteps and outlined plans for improvement, including operational pauses and pond maintenance.
“We’re consulting with landowners on better waste disposal and have a long-term rehabilitation plan in place,” he told In-depth Solomons in an interview.
Pacific Nickel’s Barclay Liliti said his team is addressing sedimentation through backfilling, replanting, and installing stream barriers.
“There are no chemicals used, and our impacts are contained within our lease area,” Liliti claimed.
“We’re committed to long-term environmental management,” the Pacific Nickel General Manager added.
Still, many villagers remain unconvinced, pointing to the ongoing destruction they witness daily and the uncertainty that looms over their future.
Will Anyone Listen?
Amid the growing mining activities around the Thousand Ships Bay, villagers and residents are left asking: Who will protect the land, the sea, and the lives entwined with both?
“We are not against development,” says Muriel Ofovaka. “But it must be fair. It must not destroy our future,” she told In-depth Solomons.
For now, the bay’s once-clear waters now clouded, its fish stocks depleted, and its people still voicing their pleas for help.
Whether those in power will answer that call, before the damage becomes irreversible is a question still hanging in the air.
“This story was produced with funding support from the
Pacific Media Assistance Scheme PACMAS.”