BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Chiefs in Wairaha, West Are’are Malaita province, have given police the ‘green light’ to hunt crocodiles along the Wairaha River following two fatal crocodile attacks last month.
Last month, two women lost their lives in separate crocodile attacks along the river, prompting community leaders to seek help from police to prevent further incidents.
The first incident occurred on April 3, 2026, when a 22-year-old girl from Paunanu’u village was killed while fishing.
The second incident followed on April 21, 2026, when another woman was killed on her way back to her niece.
Speaking to this paper yesterday, Malaita Provincial Police Commander Michael Ramosaea said a team from Auki Police met with local chiefs and elders and signed an agreement to begin the crocodile hunt.
“We responded to the request following the two incidents. Our team met with the chiefs and signed the agreement for the crocodile hunt,” he said.
Ramosaea said the response was slightly delayed due to the recent political situation, but police have already sent a formal request to Police Headquarters in Honiara through the Police Response Team (PRT) division.
He said police officers also advised community leaders to encourage people to take extra care while the matter is being handled by authorities.
A teacher, Billy Waikiri appeals to authorities to respond quickly, saying the crocodile threat is affecting students attending school.
He said students are no longer allowed to use canoes to cross the river to attend classes are instead taking a longer route to school.
“It has affected students attending classes here. Students now have to walk a long distance to school, causing them to arrive late for classes and other school activities,” he said.
Waikiri said authorities need to act quickly so students can attend school without fear and continue their education normally.
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