A MAJOR initiative to clear Suva Harbour of derelicts and marine pollution was launched today.
The project received $USD1million from Waitt Foundation and Waitt Institute to start the removal and cleaning efforts.
Experts have identified17 derelict vessels as high-priority removals.
The initial effort to clear the harbour of derelicts was spearheaded by the late Captain Johnathan Smith, master of the Fijian ocean-going canoe, Uto Ni Yalo.
Fiji’s Transport Minister, Ro Filipe Tuisawau, said the project would be led by the Joint Marine Environment Committee. This will comprise officials from the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Fiji Ports Corporation Limited, the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji, and Blue Prosperity Fiji.
The fund, Ro Filipe said, was a national pledge to restore reefs, revive fish stocks, and build a future where ports reflected pride, prosperity, and environmental integrity.
Waitt Foundation and Waitt Institute founder and chairman, Ted Waitt, describes the derelict vessels in Suva Harbour as a painful symbol of years of exploitation of Fijian waters and resources.