The Republic of Fiji Navy says it spent more than $500,000 on the search for nine fishermen reported missing at sea in March, as Commodore Timoci Natuva detailed shortcomings that hampered rescue efforts and urged better resourcing for future operations. The navy’s disclosure comes as officials review what went wrong during the week-long search and warn of the human and financial costs when small boats go to sea unprepared.
Natuva confirmed there were no life jackets aboard the fishing vessel when the men departed, and said inaccurate, “sketchy” information about the group’s intended fishing location was one of the biggest challenges for crews. “That operation is about proper preparation before going out to sea, and the importance of providing accurate information on where people are travelling,” he said. He added that weather must always be taken seriously as part of safety preparations.
The navy deployed multiple ships and helicopters and coordinated with regional partners to conduct the search, Natuva said, expanding the operation as search planners worked to reconcile conflicting or incomplete reports of the vessel’s planned location. While details on the individual assets and exact partners used were not released, the scale of the response and the final cost underline how quickly a search can become complex and resource-intensive when initial information is unreliable.
Natuva used the case to press for improvements both at the community and government levels. He urged the public to ensure proper preparation before heading to sea — including carrying life jackets, checking forecasts and providing clear travel plans — and called on the government to increase funding for the navy’s search-and-rescue capacity. “We must be better equipped to respond quickly and effectively,” he said, linking the need for more funds to the operational realities revealed by the March search.
The navy’s account adds new financial transparency to the recent missing-persons episode, and frames the cost as a policy concern as well as an operational one. Families and communities that rely on small-scale fishing are often most exposed to risks from sudden weather changes and limited safety gear, and the navy’s report highlights how those vulnerabilities can force larger-scale, expensive responses.
Authorities have not released any update on the fate of the nine fishermen beyond confirmations about the search effort itself. The navy’s emphasis on accurate pre-departure information and personal safety measures aims to reduce both the risk to life and the strain on state search-and-rescue resources. The call for increased government funding suggests that military and maritime services expect demand for such operations to remain high unless prevention measures improve.