Families with young children are living aboard derelict vessels moored in the Suva and Lami areas.
Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) chief executive and chairman of the Joint Maritime Environmental Committee, Joeli Cawaki, revealed the disturbing situation in an interview with The Fiji Times yesterday.
“There’s a security officer who lives there with his family,” he said.
“There are not many families out there, but I was told one of the security officers working for the vessel agents, he has a fibreglass boat. There are about 15 boats bundled up together, you can see where the boats are anchored when you look out to the bay. There is one security officer looking after all those boats.
“He uses that small fibreglass boat to ferry people from the shore to those vessels.”
Mr Cawaki said police were aware of the situation.
“Police have been informed and are aware of this, and those people living on those boats have also been told but the agent says that’s their security guard and that’s between them.
“For us, at the end of the day when we remove the vessels, we’ll remove everything.
“The message has also gone to the agents and owners of the boats that even if he is their security guard, when the time comes, we will tow the vessels and remove everything.”
Asked about whether the committee had concerns about the vessels also being used for illegal activities including drug and human trafficking, Mr Cawaki said checks were regularly conducted on the derelict vessels.
“Security checks are done by the navy, police, Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority, Fiji Ports Corporation Limited, and MSAF.
“Once we are clear with our financial governance and administrative structure, we’ll start to clear those vessels and that will be done by the end of this year.
“The bottom line is those vessels are not fit for purpose and not seaworthy.”
Questions sent to the Fiji Revenue and Customs Services are yet to be answered while Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu said they would respond following consultations with the Criminal Investigations Department.
