New Zealand will send their inshore patrol vessel HMNZS Hawea and 25 crew members to Fiji for six months from May in a major advance in defence cooperation between the two countries.
Six Fijians will also join the Hawea on assignment
New Zealand's Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee says the deployment is to help tackle illegal fishing in the region.
Brownlee met his Fijian counterpart, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola at a South Pacific Defence Ministers' meeting in Auckland yesterday to discuss issues including maritime surveillance.
According to Brownlee, the increase in illegal fishing vessels from Vietnam, also known as "blue boats", require counter‑action.
Brownlee says the full scope of it is a bit hard to estimate because they do not always see who is out there taking the fish illegally and they need to make sure they help their near neighbours.
Fiji military forces and fisheries personnel will work closely with the New Zealand crew during the deployment.
Fijian Defence Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola says New Zealand is one of Fiji's close partners in the region.
Kubuabola adds he is pleased to work with them, not only to conduct maritime patrols but also to train together and to strengthen their people‑to‑people links.
The Defence officials also discussed disaster response, peacekeeping developments as well as women in armed forces.
Source: Radionz and nzherald
