MOU signed, blue boats set to be destroyed
The blue boats being escorted into Honiara earlier this year. Photo: Supplied.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a local company last week to destroy the Vietnamese Blue Boats caught fishing illegally in Solomon Islands’ waters earlier this year.
Director of Fisheries, Mr Edward Honiwala and Mr Wale Tobata of Iona Firi Properties Limited signed the MOU.
The MOU required the company to destroy the boats within four weeks.
Mr Honiwala said the decision to destroy the boats was in line with the recent High Court decision.
As the Solomon Islands Maritime Safety Administration confirmed, the boats had failed their sea worthiness examination.
Iona Firi company representative, Mr Tobata said, they will soon set a date for destruction, which will take place in Malaita.
A government statement said, the Ministry of Fisheries, Police and other authorities will witness the destruction of the boats.
It said, the boats must be destroyed in an environmentally and ecologically friendly manner in line with environmental and international laws. Iona Properties will remove oil, petrol and any other fuel contained in the boats before they will be destroyed.