GRAVEL extraction has been banned by some landowning units in Labasa and companies that extract gravel from a river bed outside the town area have been told to move out.
Labasa district representative Isoa Tikoirotuma said the decision was a result of continuous awareness programs by the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Live and Learn Environment Education initiatives.
He said the awareness programs had been an eye opener for most landowners who now have more knowledge about the effects of deforestation and gravel extraction.
"We have identified that the main effects of pollution in our rivers are gravel extraction and deforestation and we are making a stand for the preservation and the sustainability of our marine resources for the future generation of Labasa district," Mr Tikoirotuma said.
Mataqali Wainikai spokesman Manoa Tuiwainikai said they stopped gravel extraction to save their marine resources.
North environment officer Senimili Nakora said the decision to ban gravel extraction rested on landowners.