Fiji, Aug. 19 -- Fiji has launched a US$1 million initiative to remove 17 high-risk derelict vessels from Suva Harbour as the Government moves to improve maritime safety, protect the marine environment and strengthen accountability for abandoned vessels.

The initiative, supported by the Captain Johnathan Smith Fund established through a partnership between the Fiji Government and the Waitt Foundation, will focus on the removal of the vessels while also supporting legal and regulatory reforms aimed at preventing vessel abandonment in the future.

Speaking at the launch, Fiji's Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, said the initiative was not simply about clearing old vessels from the harbour, but about restoring the harbour's broader environme...