Rt Hon Winston Peters

Deputy Prime Minister

Minister of Foreign Affairs

20 March 2018

NZ and Fiji to cooperate on maritime surveillance

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters today announced that New Zealand will deploy a Royal New Zealand Navy Inshore Patrol Vessel to Fiji for three months in 2018 to support maritime and fisheries surveillance. Later this year a New Zealand Offshore Patrol Vessel will also conduct complementary patrols in Fiji’s wider Exclusive Economic Zone.

“New Zealand is very proud to be partnering with Fiji to support their programme of maritime surveillance and security,” Mr Peters says.

“We share a deep and abiding interest in supporting the region’s maritime security and ensuring that the Pacific’s natural resources are protected for future generations. Fiji has an exclusive economic zone about one third the size of New Zealand’s and, as fellow island nations, both our countries place enormous importance on the security and protection of our maritime environment.

“The New Zealand Government recently committed to a ‘reset’ of our relationship with our Pacific neighbours and cooperation with Fiji on maritime surveillance is a clear demonstration of our willingness to work with Pacific countries in areas of mutual benefit.

“This deployment will further links between our two countries, detect and deter illegal fishing in Fiji’s waters, and complement regional surveillance coordinated by the Forum Fisheries Agency,” Mr Peters says.

The RNZN Inshore Patrol Vessel will be deployed to Fiji between May and August, followed by the Offshore Patrol Vessel conducting patrols later in the year. This will build on the successful deployment on the HMNZS Hawea to Fiji in 2017.

ENDS

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