Ship owners in need of scuttling services or disposal for their old, unused, or derelict vessels can now seek assistance from the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF). Scuttling, in maritime terminology, refers to the responsible and safe disposal of abandoned or derelict ships.
As derelict vessels have increasingly become a nuisance in Fiji’s waters, MSAF’s chief executive officer, Joweli Cawaki, expressed hope that the new scuttling service would help address the issue. “This facility is available to vessel owners looking to dispose of their old ships that are no longer safe for operation,” Mr. Cawaki stated. He urged ship owners to submit a request letter for scuttling services and to pay the associated fees to MSAF.
Recently, MSAF pollution officers facilitated the scuttling of a local ship, the MV Uluinabukelevu, which was sunk roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Suva. Mr. Cawaki highlighted that the vessel underwent inspection and cleaning before being scuttled. “They removed oil and other debris before it was sunk,” he explained.
Upon submitting a scuttling request, ship owners must pay the applicable fees. MSAF will then provide a checklist for the removal of oil and debris. Ship owners are required to report back to MSAF once the cleaning of their vessels is complete.
“MSAF pollution officers will conduct a final inspection to ensure the ship is ready for scuttling and will submit an inspection report to the Marine Safety Compliance and Regulation (MSCR). The MSCR and the Aids to Navigation (AtoN) officer will then provide an approval letter for scuttling, including coordinates and depth. The ship owner must provide a copy of this approval letter to Fiji Ports,” Mr. Cawaki elaborated.
He noted that it is optional for ship owners to use a tugboat or another vessel for towing the ship designated for scuttling. “An MSAF pollution officer will accompany the vessel to confirm that it is scuttled at the specified coordinates. Following the scuttling, the officer must issue a final report confirming that the ship has been successfully sunk.”