(02 December 2024) Marine Law’s Guardian Class Patrol Boat, PSS H.I. Remeliik II, delivered and supported by Australia’s Pacific Maritime Security Program, has conducted several successful patrols to tackle Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) Fishing within Palau’s EEZ. Participating in the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FAA) Operation Island Chief in August, PSS H.I. Remeliik II destroyed 18 illegal Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs) and conducted a number of boardings resulting in seizures of fishing equipment.
FFA Operation Island Chief, one of three annual regional surveillance operations Palau participates in, represents a monumental effort spanning 18.2 million square kilometres of 11 Pacific members EEZ and adjacent high seas – demonstrating the power of collaboration in protecting the Pacific region from IUU fishing activities.
Another patrol in October saw PSS H.I. Remeliik II and crew destroy a further 26 illegal FADs. IUU fishing contributes to global overfishing, threatens marine ecosystems, puts food security and regional stability at risk, and is linked to major human rights violations and even organized crime. Marine Law monitors maritime traffic and conducts surveillance patrols to safeguard Palau’s EEZ against these risks and threats.
In late October, PSS. H.I. Remeliik II was again at sea participating in FFA Operation Kurukuru, an annual joint exercise of Pacific Islands Forum member nations, intended to combat IUU fishing. During the exercise, Remeliik II conducted a surveillance trip to the Southwest Islands and utilized the patrol to deliver stores and election ballots to the communities in Helen Reef, Tobi, Pulo Anna and Sonsorol Island. During the same patrol, Remeliik II conducted two medical evacuations, demonstrating the multi-role capability of the vessel.