Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama says today shipping is more critical for Fiji than ever before as all necessities such as food, construction materials, vehicles, and other goods we rely on to run our economy would never arrive in the country without it.
While speaking at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Fiji Hydrographic Service at Royal Suva Yacht Club, Bainimarama says more than 80,000 tonnes of containers are imported on the cargo ships in Fiji’s major ports in a year.
He says on top of that Fiji imports another 400,000 tonnes of loose cargo.
Bainimarama says Fiji will also not be able to export its Fijian made products throughout the world without shipping.
He says we can rely on our maritime charts to navigate throughout our ocean and it is of great help when vessels have to urgently ship relief supplies to places in this difficult time.
He says the mapping done by Fiji Hydrographic Service was of great help when they returned to Suva in RFNS Savenaca from Kadavu.
Bainimarama says we and thousands of other ships owe the safety to the 50 years of service of the Fiji Hydrographic Service.
The Prime Minister says the Fiji Hydrographic Service serves as our eyes to the ocean and not only to our major ports, but to the reefs in the furthest maritime reaches of the country which coastal communities have relied on for generations.
He says for those reasons Fijians will continue to call on the Fiji Hydrographic Service to keep our oceans safe and ensure they are sustainably managed.
Minister for Defence, Inia Seruiratu, Korean Ambassador to Fiji, Cho Shin-hee, members of the diplomatic corp and senior government officials were also present at the event.
