Australia to assist Fiji in aerial surveillance
Australia will provide aerial surveillance of Fiji’s waters soon. The move will address the increasing trend of illegal fishing in Fiji’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
The aerial support is an extension of the current Pacific Maritime Programme.
The signing of the agreement is expected in the coming months with the aerial surveillance to start early next year.
The announcement was made by Australian Defence Minister, Senator Marise Payne, following a bilateral meeting with her Fijian counterpart, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola.
“In terms of illegal activities we have to deal with in our region whether it’s illegal fishing, illegal movement of people, whether it drugs and frankly whether its related to terrorism, the more we can work together, the more we can cooperate and collaborate to address those challenges, the more effective it will be.” Senator Payne also announced the funding of the construction of a $3.2 million (AUD$2 million) Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief warehouse at the Black Rock military training camp in Votualevu, Nadi. Construction work is expected to start in 2019.
“Black Rock has enormous potential and is important for the region in terms of peacekeeping but it is particularly important for Fiji itself.
“You make an extraordinary contribution to peacekeeping in the international community where 800 members can be deployed at any one time.”
As part of the Australian Government’s Pacific Maritime Security Programme (PMSP), the Royal Fiji Navy will receive two modern patrol boats by 2022 and 2023 respec- tively.
The programme includes the replacement of Fiji’s existing Pacific Patrol Boats (RFNS Kula, RFNS Kikau and RFNS Kiro). Yesterday’s meeting followed an earlier meeting in March where the two countries formalised Fiji’s acquisition of the bushmaster. “We have agreed to formalise an annual defence ministers meeting between Australia and Fiji - an important way of maintaining contact and being able to look at the issues that are confronting all of us in the region both in security and strategic terms.
“We want to make sure that we have effective working relationships between the Australian Defence Force and the Republic of the Fiji Military Forces that is reflected at ministerial level,” Senator Payne said.