[Photo: Supplied]

Suva Harbour’s derelict vessel problem is worsening pressure on the marine environment, navigation safety and coastal areas.

The government is now stepping up efforts to clear abandoned vessels, with the removal of the MV Westerland marking the latest phase of the cleanup.

The abandoned ferry was removed from Mosquito Island in Lami Bay this week, marking the third derelict vessel cleared from the harbour since August.

The operation comes after years of abandoned vessels occupying harbour waters and shorelines, creating environmental and navigation hazards and leaving parts of the coast effectively unusable.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka states the cleanup is a test of whether Fiji’s ocean commitments translate into action.

A cleaner Suva Harbour, he says shows the world that Fiji’s ocean leadership is more than words, Rabuka says.

The work, according to the PM begins in the capital as Fiji prepares to host Pre-COP31.

The MV Westerland had been left on Mosquito Island for years, with its wreckage covering parts of the island’s sandy shoreline.

Its removal now gives authorities an opportunity to restore the area and return the shoreline to community use.

Minister for Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau states the operation addresses more than the appearance of the harbour.

He adds that the derelict vessels pose significant risks to navigation safety, the marine environment and the wellbeing of coastal communities.

The removal program is being coordinated through the Joint Maritime Environment Committee, with Fiji Ports Corporation responsible for identifying vessels, setting priorities, managing contractors and overseeing environmental requirements.

The process is tightly controlled before any vessel is taken offshore.

Each vessel is stripped of oil and debris, while manholes and potential leak points are sealed. It is then inspected before the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji gives clearance and issues scuttling coordinates.

For the Westerland, the Ministry of Environment completed an Environmental Impact Assessment before the vessel was scuttled offshore, away from fishing grounds, navigation passages and shallow reef areas.

The cleanup is being financed through the Captain Johnathan Smith Fund, established to remove derelict vessels while also addressing the systems that allow vessels to be abandoned in Fiji’s waters.

The Waitt Foundation and Waitt Institute provided around $2.25 million to establish the fund, with support from Blue Prosperity Fiji.

More removals are planned as the government works towards its commitment to sustainably manage 100 percent of Fiji’s ocean and fully protect 30 per cent through its Marine Spatial Plan.

The operation also comes with a longer-term objective, tightening legal and institutional arrangements so that today’s cleanup does not become tomorrow’s recurring problem.