Although Palau has not announced when it is going to specifically embark but the surveillance operation will involve Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Palau and the United States
Justice Minister Johnny Gibbons confirmed of the scheduled regional effort.
The surveillance he said will cover respective Exclusive Economic Zones with the assistance of U.S. Coast Guards and an aircraft.
The regional surveillance, Gibbons said will also include monitoring of high seas through surface and aerial patrols.
Gibbons said through a concerted effort among nations reduction of illegal activity at sea can be deterred.
Every month, Remiliik goes out to sea once or twice for routine maritime surveillance and fisheries protection.
Remeliik will be unavailable for six months as it is set to leave Palau in November for a six-month refitting.
The regional surveillance is undisclosed but it will be before November.
Justice Minister Johnny Gibbons in an interview said that in the absence of the patrol boat, Palau will have to depend on neighboring countries to conduct surveillance of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
PSS Remeliik has to monitor the country’s EEZ which covers 237,000 square miles of ocean. Surveillance by the patrol boat is only conducted once a month and is not capable of covering the entire EEZ.
At most, Gibbons said, Remeliik only goes out to sea for a period of 10 days to police the seas from poachers.
He added that the refitting is necessary to allow the patrol boat’s life to extend for 15 more years. The ship will be scheduled to undergo refit in Australia and is expected to return in April.
PSS Remeliik was donated by the Australian government in 1996.
