34 Derelict Vessels to be Scrapped: Cawaki

The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) is going to scrap the 34 derelict vessels floating on the Suva Harbour next month.

Chief executive officer, Joweli Cawaki said they would need to move the derelicts to a deeper part of the waters to have them scrapped.

He said the derelicts were earlier taken to Draunibota Bay, Lami but were unable to make any progress because it was shallow.

“We are conversing now with a Chinese company in Nausori that had removed an abandoned ship in the area,” Mr Cawaki said.

“We will start officially on January 15 with the help of that company.”

Mr Cawaki said they were already talking with the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) to help them carry out a feasibility study on sunken ships in the country.

A local company will be brought in to do the study for them looking at the costing and other major needed findings.

“We are also talking with the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to help us get funding,” he said.

“But that will only come to life after we’ve done the feasibility study.

“At the moment, we are just doing trial and error from the knowledge we have.”

Mr Cawaki is calling on landowners along coastal areas to assist them with the scrapping.

“Please call us if you are willing to support us in getting these derelicts removed,” he said.

“We have the scrapping company, but we need the deeper part of the ocean so that it doesn’t disrupt marine life.”

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