FISHING vessels suspected of operating illegally in Fiji’s waters and yachts with their transponders switched off were among those detected during maritime surveillance trials with New Zealand, Defence Minister Pio Tikoduadua has revealed.
Mr Tikoduadua said the trials uncovered suspected illegal activity, particularly involving fishing vessels operating without proper licences.
“We discovered so many illegal activities by particularly fishing vessels and yachts,” he said.
Mr Tikoduadua was responding to questions about a four-week surveillance operation in which New Zealand vessels reportedly identified 137 vessels of interest, saying he had examined the data.
He explained that some vessels were boarded, while aerial surveillance was used to monitor selected vessels, particularly in the Yasawa Islands and Lau waters.
Mr Tikoduadua said the surveillance equipment, known as Bluebottles ocean drones, allowed authorities to identify suspicious vessels across Fiji’s extensive maritime territory even though it was a trial period.
He said authorities recorded vessel identification details and reported them to the relevant authorities where the vessels were registered.
“Essentially, you cannot send a patrol boat to every other ship to try and catch them.”
He described the bluebottle equipment as useful in extending surveillance coverage and helping authorities identify suspicious activity at sea.
