Photo: European Values
What is happening?
The port in the Fijian capital of Suva has become increasingly congested with abandoned vessels left behind by international owners due to the lack of insurance and financial difficulties. Despite concerns raised by the Fijian government, the issue remains unresolved. These derelict ships, most of which are reportedly owned by Chinese entities, continue to deteriorate, posing navigational hazards to active vessels and leaking fuel and other toxic substances, thereby endangering the fragile marine environment.
What is the broader picture?
The Grand Pacific Hotel, housed in a historic building dating back to 1914 and fully restored and reopened in 2014, often referred to as the “Grand Old Lady of the Pacific”, stands as one of the most prestigious venues in Suva. Located along the coastline near the Port of Suva, the hotel offers guests stunning views of the capital’s port and the lush rolling hills of Viti Levu. However, as is the case in many coastal areas near the port, visitors will also inevitably notice a cluster of rusting ships, illegally abandoned and left to decay in the harbor.
There are currently 25 abandoned vessels. The number dropped from 44 when some of the former owners declared that they wanted to fund the scuttling. However, the remaining 25 owners have refused to do so.
The boats started stacking up in the harbor during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local fishing entities blame the influx of foreign fishing vessels from East Asia, especially subsidized boats from China, for “destroying” Pacific stocks and making the industry unprofitable for many private businesses. Pacific Islands countries have some of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) in the world – corresponding to 20 percent of EEZ areas globally — and many rely on fisheries revenue from exports and licensing foreign vessels. Many of these vessels, however, do not have sufficient insurance, so once they are no longer in use, they end up abandoned in harbors such as the Port of Suva instead of undergoing proper decommissioning. The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), which coordinates fisheries management for the region, lacks specific policies on vessel disposal or wreck insurance regulations.
Almost 3,100 fishing boats are currently licensed to operate in the Western and Central Pacific, with China, Japan, and Taiwan putting the largest fleets to sea.
The issue of abandonment extends beyond vessels and affects seafarers. According to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), cases of crew abandonment, where shipowners desert both the vessel and its crew, increased by 87 percent year-on-year in 2024. Most of these incidents involved ships sailing under flags of convenience. Key causes of crew abandonment include weak enforcement of labor regulations and lack of responsiveness from flag and port states, failure to purchase vessel insurance, and shipowners’ refusal to acknowledge or address their mistreatment of crew members.
Why does it matter?
Abandoned ships at sea have emerged as a serious maritime industry crisis, creating both navigational hazards and environmental concerns. Over recent years, hundreds of vessels have been left to drift around the oceans unattended, endangering global shipping routes, marine ecosystems, and seafarers themselves. Although the ITF and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have called for stricter penalties and improved accountability for shipowners who abandon their vessels, progress remains limited.
Fiji’s problem with abandoned boats highlights unscrupulous operators exploiting weak regulations and low state capacity in parts of the South Pacific, and gray areas in international maritime law, leaving an unknown number of hulks in the region.
Notably, many Pacific Island countries — including Fiji, Kiribati, Micronesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Vanuatu — are not signatories to the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, which 70 countries have signed. Fiji’s accession to the convention would mark an important regulatory development, facilitating the country’s development of a clear legal framework for dealing with the abandoned vessels and providing more transparent channels for seeking compensation.
