Minister for Environment and Climate Change Lynda Tabuya says while the installation is a practical step, it also highlights the urgent need for a broader national response.
Tabuya acknowledged the Fiji National Fire Authority for its recent clean-up at the same site, stressing that clean-ups alone are not sustainable.She says relying on clean-ups is not a system, but a cycle that cannot continue.
The Minister says waste collected from areas like Nabua and previously at Nabukalou Creek, shows a deeper issue, with not just plastics but diapers, electronic waste and general household rubbish being found.
She says this indicates that Fiji does not yet have a waste management system that reaches everyone.
Tabuya says informal settlements, squatter areas and many rural communities remain outside effective waste collection services.
She adds that the government must step up with a national solution that ensures all communities have access to proper waste disposal.
While trash booms help stop waste before it reaches the sea, the Minister says they are only a frontline defence.
She says the real solution lies in improving how waste is managed at household, community and national levels.
This is the fourth trash boom installed under UNEP support, with one more planned, while the government has also committed to funding five additional installations across the country.
Tabuya stresses that infrastructure must be supported by stronger policies and behavioural change.
She says every Fijian must take responsibility and understand the impact of improper waste disposal.
The trash booms will also collect data on the types of waste entering waterways, which will help inform national initiatives such as the National Plastics Inventory.
Resident of Nabua Muslim League Settlement Zone 6, Asha Bibi, who has lived in the area for more than 30 years, welcomed the initiative.
She says the trash boom will help reduce rubbish in the area and is urging residents to use proper waste bins.
The project is a collaboration between the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, the Government of Japan, UNEP, Trash boom Pacific, municipal councils and community partners.
