Maritime capabilities on Beqa Island received a major boost following the graduation of more than 130 residents from comprehensive training in Boat Master License (BML), Restricted Master Engineer-Class 6 (RME6), and fiberglass small-engine repair.
The training is a core piece of the Solesolevaki ni Veitaqomaki framework, a partnership model designed to link the everyday realities of islanders with national maritime systems.
A boat serves an important link to healthcare, education, markets, and emergency response, expanding these skills to a broader cross-section of the community directly reduces economic vulnerability.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Raviravi Village, UNDP Pacific deputy resident representative, Abduvakkos Abdurahmanov, emphasised the human element behind the certifications.
“This is why, from a UNDP perspective, practical skills training is about more than the training itself,” Mr Abdurahmanov said.
“It is about strengthening local capability. It is about reducing vulnerability. It is about helping people protect livelihoods and maintain connections to the services and opportunities they depend on. And it is about ensuring that development reaches communities in ways that respond to how people actually live.”
The newly certified mariners, including the women and youth, will also play an important role in Fiji’s broader maritime security. By utilising their deep familiarity with local fishing grounds and coastal routes, the graduates are now positioned to notice unusual activity on the water and pass trusted information back to national enforcement authorities.
The initiative is implemented by the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji with the generous financial support of the UK in Fiji .
Its successful delivery highlights a highly coordinated effort between the Government of Fiji, the Ministry for Policing and Communications, the Fiji Police Force, the Republic of Fiji Navy, the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service, the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF), the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and Nadave Technical College.
