A Malaysian logging company has been accused of destroying two hectares of virgin mangrove forest in Solomon Islands' Malaita Province.
The owners of the forest of Rurata in the East Are 'Are area in the province's south are reportedly furious over the destruction caused.
They use mangrove trees as posts for their houses and mangrove swamps provide the habitat for food sources like mud crabs, shellfish and mangrove fruit.
The Solomon Star reported the MEGA logging company cut down the mangrove forest to use the trees as posts for a new wharf it is building.
The paper reported the people were also worried the company had extracted coral from their reefs for the wharf building.