Australia provides patrol boats

Australia has also pledged to train law enforcement personnel.
 
Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop made the announcement at a Pacific Foreign Affairs Minister's meeting in Fiji's capital, Suva.
 
"Australia is certainly providing more resources and assistance," she said.
 
"For example some of the maritime issues including illegal fishing, drug trafficking and human trafficking … the Pacific Islands need more resources.
 

Two decades ago Australia gifted 20 patrol boats to Pacific countries which continue to be on the front line of regional security, monitoring and surveillance of the Pacific tuna fishery and the first response in times of natural disaster.

The deputy director general of the FFA, Wez Norris, said the Pacific patrol boat roll out would begin next year and would continue until the entire Pacific patrol boat fleet was replaced.

It was part of the Pacific Maritime Security Program which would see $US1.5 billion spent in the region over the next three decades.