THE Ministry of Policing is seeking funding for boats and new maritime bases to boost sea patrols.
Permanent secretary for Policing Berenado Daveta confirmed this while expressing concerns about the illicit drugs washing up on Fiji’s shores, including in Lau.
Mr Daveta said Fiji’s vast maritime territory presented significant challenges for law enforcement and required continued support from the military.
“Our territory (waters) is 1.3 million kilometres square. That’s twice the size of France. We definitely need the military to support the police in that,” he said.
Mr Daveta said while the police force had a small maritime component, it largely remained focused on land-based operations, relying on the Republic of Fiji Navy to patrol the country’s wider maritime zones.
“Police are more land bound in operations, but a bit of maritime division, but a small component.
“We rely on the navy to be doing the policing of our maritime waters, especially the EEZ, because they have the bigger boats to go there.
“For us, we remain in the territorial waters, part of it.”
To strengthen policing capabilities at sea, Mr Daveta said the ministry was pursuing support for additional vessels and the establishment of maritime bases in key locations around the country.
“So we are hoping that we will have also the support, get some boats and have a base in, say, Lakeba, in Savusavu, Levuka and Denarau.
“So they can patrol those areas, whilst the military or the Navy patrol the outskirts of our territorial waters into the EEZ, which is further out at sea.
“We’re trying to get resources on that.”
When asked whether the ministry would seek a larger budget allocation amid growing economic pressures, Mr Daveta said funding decisions ultimately depended on how Government resources were distributed among ministries.
He said police had submitted their budget proposals but would have to work within whatever allocation was approved.
