Fiji’s main ports remain vulnerable to oil spills with the increase in maritime trade and other activities both locally and within the region.

Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Lorna Eden made this comment yesterday while receiving the oil spill response equipment from the New Zealand government at the Suva wharf.

She said the equipment’s worth $1.254 million ($NZD853,000) was generously provided to Fiji in direct response to the recommendations in the report on Oil Spill Environmental Risk Assessment.

“The report identified four critical high risks sited for oil spill and provided recommendation such as procurement of oil spill response equipment,” Ms Eden said.

“The procurement of equipment will contribute significantly to increase in establishing the oil spill response equipment stockpiles and facilities in four risk areas of port of Suva, Lautoka, Levuka and Malau.”

Ms Eden said this would address the Tier II and Tier III with regards to the longer duration and the larger impact of oil spills.

“The response was led by the Maritime Safety of Fiji and if the amount of the spill was beyond our resources Fiji will seek international help,” she said.

She said representatives of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme(SPREP), Maritime New Zealand would deliver training on the use and maintenance of oil spill equipment.

She said the possibility of oil spill in Fiji waters  was very high and the equipment would minimise the negative impact to our social, economic and environmental resources.

Ms Eden thanked the New Zealand government for their continuous support in Fiji’s maritime sector.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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