Honiara City Council bans salt fish sales at Central Market, citing strong odour, directing vendors to relocate to White River Market
Honiara, January 5, 2026 – Town council enforcement officers, supported by the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, removed local vendors selling Salt Fish from Honiara Central Market Today Monday
The action followed a regulation passed by the Honiara City Council (HCC) Executive prohibiting the sale of Salt Fish at the Central Market. Under the directive, affected vendors have been instructed to relocate their operations to the White River 01 Market.
Timothy Ko’ohiwai, Deputy Director of Law Enforcement at HCC, told Tavuli News that Salt Fish sales are not permitted at the Central Market because of the strong odour associated with the product.
“The smell of Salt Fish is too bad. It must be removed,” he said, adding that the left wing of the market is reserved exclusively for the sale of vegetables and crops.
Ko’ohiwai urged Salt Fish vendors to comply with HCC regulations and cooperate with the council in implementing the decision.
“We call on vendors to abide by the rules Honiara City Council Executive passed,” the Deputy Director stated.
One affected vendor, Shandra Robert, expressed frustration over the relocation, saying business conditions at the White River Market are significantly slower. She explained that limited customer traffic has resulted in reduced cash flow and fish going unsold.
“In three weeks at White River, my fish is wasted ,” she said.
Robert added that her products sell quickly at the Central Market and appealed to the Honiara City Council to reconsider the decision. She called on authorities to take into account the livelihoods of vendors and to consider relocating fish market vendors to the centre of Honiara City.
By Steven Kamoa
