The ship had just came from Guam and will be leaving Palau on Saturday and will be heading back to Darwin, Australia.
Lt. Commander Kimbal Dunsmore and Ellender Ngerameketii, Chief of Division of Marine Law Enforcement, welcomed Lt. Commander McKenzie and the 29-crewmembers.The ship, which is engaged in fisheries and marine biology enforcement, immigration and quarantine, has been travelling for six weeks now at the islands of Rebaul, Pohnpei, Guam and now Palau.McKenzie said he finds Palau fantastic.“It’s my first time here and it’s fantastic. The rocks and the jelly fish they are cool,”he said.The ship was under the command of Lt. Commander Dunsmore last year.Dunsmore is now the Maritime Surveillance Adviser here in Palau.President Remengesau and some of the officials will meet the Navy officers and crew members during their visit here.There were six female officers and 23 male officers on board. Two of them, Sub-Lieutenant Charlotte Faithful and Lieutenant Samuel Andrew who have been in the Royal Australian Navy for four years now said that Palau has a beautiful and spectacular marine which is good for relaxation activity or scuba diving activity.Andrew is involved in illegal fishing patrol and investigation while Faithful is under training for ship handling and general navigation duties.The last time that an Australian patrol ship visited Palau was in 2005.Ngerameketii in a separate interview said that Australia’s commitment in helping Palau is increasing every year. The two countries have been working together for the past years now.Australia has been funding the patrol boat program in Palau and and the other members of the Pacific Region.
