New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Peters has announced that New Zealand will deploy a Royal New Zealand Navy Inshore Patrol Vessel to Fiji for three months this year to support maritime and fisheries surveillance.
The RNZN Inshore Patrol Vessel will be deployed to Fiji between May and August, followed by the Offshore Patrol Vessel later in the year to conduct complementary patrols in Fiji's wider Exclusive Economic Zone.
Peters says Fiji and New Zealand 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.
Peters adds that 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.
He says that this deployment further links our two countries, detect and deter illegal fishing in Fiji's waters, and complement regional surveillance coordinated by the Forum Fisheries Agency.
The New Zealand High Commission says this will build on the successful deployment on the HMNZS Hawea to Fiji in 2017.
Meanwhile the Royal New Zealand Air Force P3K2 Orion aircraft this morning conducted a fly past to mark part of the University of South Pacific and Royal New Zealand Air Force 50th Anniversary event.
