{"id":39434,"date":"2025-04-22T12:00:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T10:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/?p=39434"},"modified":"2025-05-26T13:01:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T11:01:29","slug":"suvas-ship-graveyard-resolving-the-issue-of-abandoned-foreign-vessels-in-fiji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/suvas-ship-graveyard-resolving-the-issue-of-abandoned-foreign-vessels-in-fiji\/","title":{"rendered":"Suva\u2019s Ship Graveyard: Resolving the Issue of Abandoned Foreign Vessels in Fiji"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"39434\" class=\"elementor elementor-39434\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-290779ab elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"290779ab\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-25d6fb8c\" data-id=\"25d6fb8c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1da55524 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1da55524\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Photo: Olimpia Kot<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6cad0dfb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6cad0dfb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>.elementor-element-6cad0dfb{display:none !important}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2934b63d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2934b63d\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2fc27b4a\" data-id=\"2fc27b4a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-5ea97b14 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5ea97b14\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-no-translation=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-543417d6\" data-id=\"543417d6\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-74a71f95 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"74a71f95\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What is happening?<\/h2><p>The port in the Fijian capital of Suva has become increasingly congested with <strong>abandoned<\/strong> <strong>vessels<\/strong> left behind by international owners due to the lack of insurance and financial difficulties. Despite concerns raised by the Fijian government, <strong>the<\/strong> <strong>issue<\/strong> <strong>remains<\/strong> <strong>unresolved<\/strong>. These derelict ships, most of which are reportedly owned by <a href=\"https:\/\/islandtimes.org\/fijis-fishing-ship-graveyard-highlights-lax-pacific-dumping-controls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chinese entities<\/a>, continue to deteriorate, posing <strong>navigational<\/strong> <strong>hazards<\/strong> to active vessels and leaking fuel and other toxic substances, thereby <strong>endangering the fragile marine environment<\/strong>.<\/p><h2>\u00a0<\/h2><h2>What is the broader picture?<\/h2><p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/grandpacifichotel.com.fj\/history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cGrand Old Lady of the Pacific\u201d<\/a>, 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\u2019s 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 <strong>a cluster of rusting ships<\/strong>, illegally abandoned and left to decay in the harbor.<\/p><p>There are currently 25 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/pacific\/544511\/fiji-s-fishing-ship-graveyard-highlights-lax-pacific-dumping-controls\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">abandoned vessels<\/a>. 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.<\/p><p>The boats <a href=\"https:\/\/maritime-executive.com\/article\/dozens-of-abandoned-shipwrecks-pose-safety-risks-in-fiji\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">started stacking up<\/a> in the harbor during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local fishing entities blame <strong>the influx of foreign fishing vessels from East Asia<\/strong>, <strong>especially subsidized boats from China<\/strong>, for \u201cdestroying\u201d Pacific stocks and making the industry unprofitable for many private businesses. Pacific Islands countries have <strong>some of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) in the world <\/strong>\u2013 corresponding to <a href=\"https:\/\/pacificdata.org\/dashboard\/maritime-boundaries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">20 percent of EEZ<\/a> areas globally &#8212; 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, <strong>they end up abandoned in harbors<\/strong> 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, <a href=\"https:\/\/islandtimes.org\/fijis-fishing-ship-graveyard-highlights-lax-pacific-dumping-controls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lacks<\/a> specific policies on vessel disposal or wreck insurance regulations.<\/p><p>Almost 3,100 fishing boats are <a href=\"https:\/\/islandtimes.org\/fijis-fishing-ship-graveyard-highlights-lax-pacific-dumping-controls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">currently licensed<\/a> to operate in the Western and Central Pacific, with China, Japan, and Taiwan putting the largest fleets to sea.<\/p><p>The issue of abandonment extends beyond vessels and <strong>affects seafarers<\/strong>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.itfseafarers.org\/en\/news\/2024-worst-year-record-seafarer-abandonment-says-itf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According<\/a> to the International Transport Workers\u2019 Federation (ITF), cases of <strong>crew abandonment<\/strong>, where shipowners desert both the vessel and its crew, <strong>increased by 87 percent year-on-year in 2024<\/strong>. Most of these incidents involved ships sailing under flags of convenience. Key causes of crew abandonment include <strong>weak enforcement<\/strong> of labor regulations and <strong>lack of responsiveness<\/strong> from flag and port states, <strong>failure to purchase vessel insurance<\/strong>, and <strong>shipowners&#8217; refusal to acknowledge<\/strong> or address their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nautilusint.org\/en\/news-insight\/telegraph\/abandonment-issues-when-a-maritime-connection-is-severed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>mistreatment<\/strong><\/a> <strong>of crew members<\/strong>.<\/p><h2>\u00a0<\/h2><h2>Why does it matter?<\/h2><p>Abandoned ships at sea have emerged as <strong>a serious maritime industry crisis<\/strong>, creating both <strong>navigational hazards<\/strong> and <strong>environmental concerns<\/strong>. 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinelink.com\/news\/abandoned-ships-sea-a-worsening-crisis-521837\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stricter penalties<\/a> and improved accountability for shipowners who abandon their vessels, progress remains limited.<\/p><p>Fiji\u2019s problem with abandoned boats highlights unscrupulous operators exploiting <strong>weak regulations <\/strong>and <strong>low state capacity<\/strong> in parts of the South Pacific, and <strong>gray areas in international maritime law<\/strong>, leaving an unknown number of hulks in the region.<\/p><p>Notably, many Pacific Island countries &#8212; including Fiji, Kiribati, Micronesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Vanuatu &#8212; <strong>are not signatories to the <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/treaties.un.org\/Pages\/showDetails.aspx?objid=080000028053c3a0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks<\/strong><\/a>, which 70 countries have signed. Fiji\u2019s accession to the convention would mark <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lowyinstitute.org\/the-interpreter\/sunk-costs-pacific-shipwrecks-urgent-call-nairobi-convention\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an important regulatory development<\/a>, facilitating the country\u2019s development of a clear legal framework for dealing with the abandoned vessels and providing more transparent channels for seeking compensation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo: Olimpia Kot Foto: Olimpia Kot 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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":39435,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[500],"tags":[495,538],"class_list":["post-39434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-marcin-jerzewski","tag-olimpia-kot"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Suva\u2019s Ship Graveyard: Resolving the Issue of Abandoned Foreign Vessels in Fiji - European Values Center for Security Policy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/suvas-ship-graveyard-resolving-the-issue-of-abandoned-foreign-vessels-in-fiji\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Suva\u2019s Ship Graveyard: Resolving the Issue of Abandoned Foreign Vessels in Fiji - European Values Center for Security Policy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Photo: Olimpia Kot Foto: Olimpia Kot 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 [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/suvas-ship-graveyard-resolving-the-issue-of-abandoned-foreign-vessels-in-fiji\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"European Values Center for Security Policy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-22T10:00:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-26T11:01:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Illegally_dumped_ships-Suva_Port-Fiji.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2160\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1136\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ond\u0159ej Ber\u00e1nek\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ond\u0159ej Ber\u00e1nek\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/europeanvalues.cz\\\/suvas-ship-graveyard-resolving-the-issue-of-abandoned-foreign-vessels-in-fiji\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/europeanvalues.cz\\\/suvas-ship-graveyard-resolving-the-issue-of-abandoned-foreign-vessels-in-fiji\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ond\u0159ej Ber\u00e1nek\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/europeanvalues.cz\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7724fb271acacd215231c937a200a510\"},\"headline\":\"Suva\u2019s Ship Graveyard: Resolving the Issue of Abandoned Foreign Vessels in Fiji\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-22T10:00:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-26T11:01:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/europeanvalues.cz\\\/suvas-ship-graveyard-resolving-the-issue-of-abandoned-foreign-vessels-in-fiji\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1633,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/europeanvalues.cz\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/europeanvalues.cz\\\/suvas-ship-graveyard-resolving-the-issue-of-abandoned-foreign-vessels-in-fiji\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/europeanvalues.cz\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/04\\\/Illegally_dumped_ships-Suva_Port-Fiji.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Marcin Jerzewski\",\"Olimpia Kot\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Articles\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/europeanvalues.cz\\\/suvas-ship-graveyard-resolving-the-issue-of-abandoned-foreign-vessels-in-fiji\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/europeanvalues.cz\\\/suvas-ship-graveyard-resolving-the-issue-of-abandoned-foreign-vessels-in-fiji\\\/\",\"name\":\"Suva\u2019s Ship Graveyard: Resolving the Issue of Abandoned Foreign Vessels in Fiji - 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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. 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