Government has announced a full maritime investigation into the Lomaiviti Princess II (LP2) oil spill.
This was confirmed in a statement yesterday, with Minister for Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau directing that the cause of the incident and related failures be thoroughly examined.
Additionally, the Ministry of Environment will conduct a full chemical analysis of the affected spill area to assess the environmental impact and guide remediation.
The announcement follows confirmation that the LP2, owned by Goundar Shipping Ltd, had been left in a deteriorated state since 2019 before spilling oil into Suva Harbour earlier this month.
Chair of the Joint Maritime Environment Committee and chief executive of the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) Joeli Cawaki said the Ministry of Transport would collaborate with MSAF to ascertain the cause of the incident, determine responsibility and identify gaps in standard operating procedures.
Under Section 45 of the Maritime Transport Act 2013, MSAF is empowered to appoint authorised officers to investigate such accidents.
In the statement, Government has come out strongly against the negligence demonstrated in this case and reaffirmed its commitment to upholding maritime integrity, environmental protection, and public accountability.
