The new Fijian guardian-class patrol boat, RFNS Savenaca is expected to assist the Fiji Navy with fighting against international criminal networks hitting the Pacific hard, particularly drug trade.
Speaking at the handover ceremony for the RFNS Savenaca at Austal shipyard in Perth, Western Australia earlier today, Prime Minister Honourable Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama said most of the narcotics passing through our waters are bound for lucrative markets such as Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, and other hubs in Australia and New Zealand but the inevitable spill-over makes this an issue far larger than any one market or nation.
“It’s on all of us to band together to keep these criminals out of our waters and keep hard drugs out of our people’s hands – particularly young people. With the RFNS Savenca in the ranks of our fleet, our capacity to combat drug smugglers will be further bolstered for the benefit of our people and our society at large,” Prime Minister Bainimarama said.
“But it’s not only drug traders we’re worried about. The crew of this vessel, alongside the Fijian Navy Fleet, will combat illegal fishing, dumping, and human trafficking as well. None of these are Fijian threats alone, in fact, the one thing criminal operators, massive piles of trash, and swimming schools of tuna all have in common is a disregard for national oceanic boundaries.
“Fiji stands ready to put our fleet to work to secure a safer Pacific. But we can’t limit our ambition to our region and lose sight of the larger, global challenges to oceans health and security. This June is the second UN Oceans Conference and as a region home to some of the world’s largest ocean states, it’s vital that Pacific nations – along with Australia and New Zealand – press our campaign to save our oceans from the devastation of overfishing, climate change and pollution.”
Meanwhile, the new addition to the Fijian Navy Fleet further enhances the Fiji-Vuvale Partnership. The RFNS Savenaca is the sixth out of 19 patrol boats built by Austal in Australia.
With room for 23 crew and a 3,000 nautical range, the naval ship is named after an ordinary sailor, Savenaca Naulumatua who served in World War II.
The RFNS Savenaca is the first of the two patrol boats gifted to Fiji under the Pacific Maritime Security Programme, the second of which will be delivered in 2023.