Tonga is set to benefit from a new wave of United States and Australian investment in Pacific maritime security, including measures targeting illegal fishing, drug trafficking and other cross-border crime across the region.
Australia and the United States announced separate packages worth about US$580 million during the recent Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Palau, as regional governments seek greater capacity to police their vast ocean territories.
For Tonga, the announcements are significant because the Kingdom controls an Exclusive Economic Zone vastly larger than its land area and is already among Pacific nations participating in a maritime shiprider arrangement with the United States.
Under such agreements, Tongan maritime law-enforcement personnel can embark on US vessels and exercise Tonga’s authority in its waters and Exclusive Economic Zone, extending the country’s ability to detect and respond to illegal activity far offshore.
US targets illegal fishing
The United States announced more than US$150 million in new Pacific initiatives, including US$17 million specifically aimed at combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, commonly known as IUU fishing.
The programme is expected to help Pacific countries strengthen national laws and regulations, provide certified training for compliance officers and introduce new monitoring technologies.
For small island states such as Tonga, enforcement presents a particular challenge because limited patrol and surveillance resources must cover large areas of ocean.
Illegal fishing can deprive Pacific countries of fisheries resources and revenue while vessels operating beyond effective surveillance can be difficult for national authorities to detect and inspect.
Australia has also committed about US$430 million towards regional security measures, including enhanced aerial surveillance, policing cooperation and efforts to combat transnational drug trafficking.
Australian officials said aerial surveillance is already being used in the Pacific to combat illegal fishing, including privately operated aircraft funded by Australia’s Department of Defence.
Tonga part of shiprider network
Tonga is among a group of Pacific nations participating in US maritime shiprider arrangements alongside countries including Fiji, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea and the Marshall Islands.
The arrangements allow Pacific law-enforcement officers to work aboard US vessels, providing additional reach for countries that otherwise have limited vessels, aircraft and personnel available to patrol their EEZs.
The growing cooperation was demonstrated earlier this year during the US Coast Guard’s Operation Blue Pacific, when the cutter Harriet Lane undertook a 75-day Pacific patrol.
US Coast Guard personnel assisted Fijian and Papua New Guinean authorities with 42 vessel boardings during the operation.
More US investment for Tonga
The maritime enforcement initiative comes alongside another US commitment directly involving Tonga.
Washington announced plans for a feasibility study aimed at strengthening Tonga’s fuel supply reliability and energy security, including possible upgrades to port facilities, fuel storage capacity and pipeline infrastructure.
The project forms part of a wider US$60 million regional energy-security initiative announced at the Forum.
Tonga has therefore emerged among the Pacific countries specifically identified for infrastructure and security-related assistance under Washington’s latest regional investment package.
The announcements come as Pacific governments face overlapping maritime challenges, ranging from illegal fishing and drug trafficking to the enormous practical task of monitoring some of the world’s largest ocean territories with relatively small national enforcement agencies.
