Government has stopped All Earthworks Company from extracting gravel under the Namosi Development Corporation issued licence from the Navua River.

This is with immediate effect after the Prime Minister called together government stakeholders in a meeting on February 15.

Complaints had been raised with the Prime Minister concerning the gravel extraction operations by the company.

The complaints involved the issue of the river becoming shallower upstream rendering it inaccessible with boats that are utilised as a mode of transport by villages and communities in the upper Navua River.

Villages and communities also reported a depressed ecosystem, which resulted in depleted river food sources, such as fish, eels and mussels, as the extraction operations continued.

The Ministry of Lands issues extraction licenses for State land and the iTaukei Lands Trust Board (TLTB) for iTaukei land.

The Prime Minister has directed that Ministry of Lands or TLTB will only approve gravel extraction license after appropriate Environment Impact Assessments (EIA) are conducted.

The Fiji Police Force will ensure the directive to stop the gravel extraction operations are complied with.