Fiji Navy taking bold steps in Maritime Safety
“MARITIME security initiatives currently being implemented by the Fiji Navy are designed to combat transnational crime including trafficking of drugs, human trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as well as emerging threats to the region.”
This was highlighted by the Minister for Minister Defence, National Security and Policing, Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Inia Seruiratu, while providing an update during the Parliament sitting on the Maritime Security Initiatives conducted by the Naval Unit of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.
The Fiji Navy, Minister Seruiratu explained, was responsible for surveillance of Fiji’s 1.3 million square kilometres of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and it achieves this through monitoring and coordinating maritime search and rescue operations for Fiji and regional search and rescue area of responsibility, ensuring that consistent operation of the critical Suva 3DP Coastal Radio Station and conducting hydrographic surveys and services for mariners who traverse Fiji’s waters, amongst other maritime security initiatives.
“The Fiji Navy enhances its support to border security agencies in the space of combatting transnational crime through information sharing and resource support. For cases of interest, its increased and meaningful collaboration with partner agencies, has resulted in the successful apprehension of two foreign vessels since January, 2022. In addition, for the year 2021, the Republic of Fiji Navy fleet successfully conducted 89 boarding of vessels of which 19 were joint operations with regional partners who provided support in terms of aerial surveillance or at sea boarding.”
“The RFMF’s naval division continues to develop information sharing mechanisms whilst maturing with technological advancements to support the synthesising and assessing of maritime security threats based on a holistic view of the maritime domain. This is done to prioritise where to focus our limited maritime assets,” he said.
Minister Seruiratu also assured Parliament that these security measures will continue to develop as the naval division is preparing for the launch and opening of the Maritime Essential Services Centre in 2024, a project that undertaken with Fiji’s Vuvale partner – Australia.
It was also highlighted by the Minister that “the naval division is continuing to formalise technical agreements and operational framework that encompass cross-border support, capacity-building, information-sharing and development around search and rescue particularly with the New Zealand and Fiji Agreement signed in 2021”.
In 2021, a total of 53 search and rescue cases were coordinated by the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC), and of this number 147 lives rescued and 15 lives were lost.
The RCC has already coordinated 25 search and rescue cases this year.