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The New Zealand navy has stepped in to help cyclone-battered Southwest Pacific island nations in patrolling their territorial waters for illegal commercial fishing, the New Zealand Defence Force said Wednesday.
Offshore Patrol Vessel HMNZS Wellington had just arrived in Honiara after sailing from New Caledonia on Friday, the vessel's commander, Lieutenant Commander Graham MacLean said in a statement.
The vessel was carrying two senior agents from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF), and two senior agents from the Vanuatu Police Force (Maritime) to conduct a combined patrol of the Vanuatu and Solomon Islands' exclusive economic zones.
"By patrolling these waters, we are helping to deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which helps protect the livelihoods of communities in Pacific island countries as well as in New Zealand," said MacLean.
Wellington's assistance had been timely for the Vanuatu Police Force after its police patrol boat, which would usually have been used for such patrols, was destroyed by Cyclone Pam in March.
The patrol hailed three vessels targeting tuna species in Vanuatu waters and two in the Solomon Islands region, but found no infringements.
New Zealand navy crews helped a combined Vanuatu-RSIPF team to successfully board two of the five boats.
