Ocean Law Bulletins

At the time of writing, the Maritime Powers Bill 2026, Bill Number 35 of 2026, the Bill, is before Parliament. It represents a significant opportunity for Fiji to bolster maritime security and ocean governance in line with national security objectives and international commitments.

This is a significant moment because the Republic of Fiji Navy, which stands on the frontline of national maritime security, has lacked its own statutory powers. For decades, naval officers relied on delegated powers conferred under separate sectoral legislation. This fragmented arrangement may have led to missed opportunities for capacity building, as well as creating complex training burdens to enforce maritime laws in accordance with national and international legal frameworks.

Fiji is a maritime nation surrounded by an expanse of ocean that includes 1.28 million square kilometres of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) but also includes sovereign maritime zones that are Fiji’s internal waters, archipelagic waters, and territorial sea that links its 330 islands, and underpins domestic and international trade and Fiji’s Blue Economy.

In this bulletin, we examine how the Maritime Powers Act (once passed and in force) will operate and, noting that the Bill is open for consideration by Parliament and public consultation, we provide what we hope are constructive observations to assist the drafters. We further consider how this initiative presents an opportunity for development partners to align technical assistance towards the multiagency coordination required to implement Fiji’s maritime security, anchored by the coordination function of the Maritime Essential Services Centre, MESC.