LocationsWhere the Sea is Live Safety Can No Longer Be Left to Chance
May 6, 2026
Berenado Daveta, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Policing, engages with community members in Kadavu during a maritime safety and security awareness session, highlighting the role of local communities in strengthening safety, vigilance, and resilience across Fiji’s maritime spaces.
“For Fiji, the ocean is everything, but it is also where our biggest risks are.”
That is how Berenado Daveta, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Policing in Fiji, describes the challenge facing a country whose livelihoods, communities, and economy are deeply tied to the sea.
From transport and fisheries to tourism and daily life, Fiji’s expansive maritime space sustains much of what people depend on, while at the same time exposing it to growing pressures, from unsafe travel to more complex threats such as illicit trafficking.
“Maritime security is not only a law enforcement concern,” he adds. “It is a national development and human security priority.”
As global and regional dynamics continue to evolve, strengthening presence, awareness, and coordination at sea is no longer optional. But as Daveta makes clear, this responsibility cannot sit with Government alone. It has to be shared, especially with those who are on the water every day.
In places like one of Fiji’s most remote islands, Vanua Balavu, that responsibility has long been carried through experience, passed down over time, and, at times, left to chance.
“If something went wrong with the engine, I would just play around with the parts and pray I’d make it back.”
For Senico Matewale, that was simply part of life at sea.
For Fiji, its simple, as boats are not a convenience here; they are how people move between islands, between families, between obligations and opportunities and for many years and safety came down to instinct, familiarity, and making do with what you knew.
There was knowledge, yes, but there were also risks that were often unspoken and quietly accepted.
That is what is now beginning to change, through Boat Master Licence training delivered directly to communities by the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji, working alongside the Fiji Police Force and the Republic of Fiji Navy, with support from the Government of the United Kingdom, under UNDP’s Maritime Safety and Security Project.
Fane Cinavilakeba presents Senico Matewale with his Boat Master Licence certification following maritime safety training in Vanua Balavu.
Today, before leaving shore, Senico checks the weather, inspects his boat, ensures that safety equipment is in place, and understands how his engine works, not just how to use it, but how to identify problems before they become dangerous.
Even the basics have taken on new meaning.
“Before, we would just use any boat for fishing or carrying passengers. Now I understand there are different types, and why choosing the right one matters.”
But more than anything, what has changed is how he sees his role.
With a licence comes responsibility, not just for himself, but for every person on board.
“Now, I feel a great responsibility on my shoulder… their safety is in my hands.”
What Senico describes reflects a wider shift taking place across Fiji’s maritime communities and one that is being driven by a more deliberate effort to equip people not just with knowledge, but with the confidence and capability to act.
Community Boat Master training, Daveta explains, plays a vital role in that shift.
By equipping individuals with the skills to operate vessels safely and responsibly, communities are better able to respond to emergencies, support search and rescue efforts, and recognise and report unusual or suspicious activity at sea.
“Our maritime communities are the eyes and ears of our waters,” he says, noting that fishermen, boat operators, and coastal residents are often the first to notice when something is not right.
When that awareness is paired with stronger reporting systems and coordination with authorities, it significantly improves early detection and response, helping to disrupt illicit activity before it escalates.
For Fane Cinavilakeba, working directly with communities through the United Nations Development Programme, this shift is not something abstract, but visible in the small, everyday decisions people now make.
“You can actually see the difference,” she says, describing how boat handlers prepare differently, speak more confidently about weather patterns, and approach mechanical issues with a clearer understanding.
What stands out most, however, is not just the improvement in skills, but the confidence that comes with it, a sense of ownership and pride that extends beyond holding a licence to understanding what it represents for their families and communities.
Across different islands, that confidence is spreading, with women, youth, and experienced operators stepping forward not only as participants, but as advocates for safer practices.
In some cases, that awareness is already translating into action.
Fane Cinavilakeba, UNDP Project Admninistrative Associate, supports community members in Kadavu during training, reflecting growing confidence and ownership at village level.
During follow-up calls, Fane recalls speaking with community members who had used toll-free numbers to report suspicious activity in their qoliqoli, with authorities responding within 24 hours. reinforcing trust and demonstrating that what was learned was being applied in real situations.
“It showed me that the training didn’t just stay in the classroom,” she says. “People were using it to protect their communities.”
Moments like these, point to something deeper which is a growing connection between communities and the systems designed to support them.
That connection is not immediate. It is built over time through trust, presence, and coordination.
No single agency, Daveta emphasises, can manage the full scope of maritime security challenges alone.
Collaboration between the Fiji Police Force, the Republic of Fiji Navy, Fiji Revenue and Custom Services and the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji brings together law enforcement, surveillance, and technical expertise, allowing for more coordinated and effective responses at sea.
But even that system depends on something more fundamental, which are the communities. Not all impact is measured in numbers.
Sometimes, it is found in quieter decisions such as a captain choosing not to overload a boat, delaying a trip because of weather, or reporting something that does not feel right.
And sometimes, it is deeply personal.
Fane remembers a graduation in Kadavu where a 60-year-old woman received her first-ever certification, an achievement that brought her to tears, not just because of the qualification itself, but because it had been made accessible to her, within her own community, without requiring her to leave behind her responsibilities.
It was about being included and these moments are adding up in Fiji.
Maritime safety and security are no longer seen as something delivered from the outside; they are being shaped from within, by communities who understand the sea, depend on it, and are now better equipped to navigate it safely.
“Your awareness, your vigilance, and your willingness to report concerns make a real difference,” Daveta says.
“Maritime security is not only the responsibility of authorities but a shared responsibility.”
And increasingly, it is one that Fijians are now carrying together.
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