Some commercial fishing vessels have had their catch thrown back into the sea because the fishermen were not licensed or permitted to fish in the Naqelelevu Island qoliqoli area.

Ministry of Fisheries Director, Aisake Batibasaga says that last Tuesday, the Ministry had received a report from customary fishing rights owners that commercial fishing vessels were fishing illegally near Naqelelevu Island, within the inner reef lagoon systems as well as outside reefs which is part of a traditional fishing ground or iqoliqoli.

Batibasaga says the Op Wasawasa II patrol which is the combined Fiji border agency patrol on the New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Taupo was immediately deployed in response to this report.

He says upon inspection a substantial quantity of catch was found on board the fishing vessels and it was confirmed that none of the vessels were licensed to fish in the qoliqoli area.

Batibasaga says in accordance with Fiji's fisheries law, ownership of captured fish only passes to the harvester if the fish are caught in accordance with the law and due to the location of the vessels it was concluded that the catch was illegal and consequently the fishermen had no right to retain the catch.