FIJI’S maritime security laws are set for a rapid overhaul after Parliament voted to fast-track the Maritime Powers Bill 2026 despite strong Opposition concerns over scrutiny.
Defence and Veteran Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua told the Parliament on Tuesday that the legislation was urgently needed to close a “current and significant gap” in Fiji’s maritime security framework, warning that criminal networks were already exploiting maritime routes.
“What is missing is a modern unified legal framework to support those operations,” he said.
He warned that delaying the Bill could result in “failed interdictions, lost evidence, unsuccessful prosecutions and threats to our maritime sovereignty”.
But Opposition MP Jone Usamate criticised the rushed process, pointing to the Bill’s 68 clauses and warning that Parliament needed adequate time for scrutiny.
“By force-feeding these things through Parliament, we might be missing things that we could have picked up,” he said.
Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya also questioned why the Bill had not been brought earlier, arguing it could have been referred to a committee for thorough examination, including its implications under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
