maritime security south pacific paper

8/9/2019 Maritime Security South Pacific Paper

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Maritime security in South PacificBy David Raja Marpaung S.IP M.Def1

1 David Raja Marpaung. Associate Lecture University of Indonesia, also Indonesia Politic andDefense Consultant. Email: [email protected] Phoe: +62 81219588360


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Maritime security in South Pacific

1. Introduction

The South Pacific countries are geographically isolated and sparsely populated; they

cover more than 30 million square kilometres, but occupy less than two percent of thatarea. Each of these countries has its own political, economic and social structures, oftenincorporating different, languages, beliefs, values and practice, as well as differentlevels of wealth and development. Twenty percent of the worlds languages and culturesexist in the Pacific Islands, but only one per cent of the worlds population It is broadlymade up of the nations and territories which comprise the sub-regional groupings ofMelanesia, Polynesia and Australasia2.

South Pacific consists of 22 political entities of the Pacific Community with Australia andNew Zealand. They are American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States ofMicronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Island, Nauru, New

Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands,Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Wallis and Futuna3

South pacific also is very interesting region in the world. It consists of hundred islandsand few big powers present at there, such as USA, France, UK and others. To definethe south pacific region is to point the importance of political status in determining ofpolitical stability. The external states guarantee the security and stability of theirterritories and subsidy them generously. Here are the members of south pacificcommunity:

Table 1Political Entities in South Pacific

Island Political Entities

American Samoa USA territory

Cook Islands Free association with NZ

Federates States of Micronesia Free association with USA

Fiji Independent

French Polynesia Overseas Territory of France

Guam USA Territory

Kiribati Independent

Marshall Islands Free association with USA

Nauru IndependentNew Caledonia Overseas Territory of France

Niue Self Governing in Free association with NZ

2AusAID 2004.Pacific Regional Aid Strategy 20042009.

http://www.ausaid.gov.au/publications/pdf/pacific_regional_strategy.pdf3 Stewart Firth, Security and Stability in The South Pacific: Issues and Responses,http://www.isis.org.my/files/apr/22nd%20APR/21%20James%20A.Veith.pdf
http://www.isis.org.my/files/apr/22nd%20APR/21%20James%20A.Veith.pdfhttp://www.isis.org.my/files/apr/22nd%20APR/21%20James%20A.Veith.pdf


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Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth of the USA

Palau Free association with USA

Papua New Guinea Independent

Pitcairn Islands Dependency of the UK

Samoa Independent

Solomon Islands IndependentTokelau Territory of NZ

Tonga Independent

Tuvalu Independent

Vanuatu Independent

Wallis and Futuna Overseas Territory of France

Australia Independent

New Zealand Independent

In other hand, Pacific island community shares a comprehensive view of maritimesecurity. This involves consideration of crime regulation and act, economic, resourceand environmental security. None of the Pacific Islands Countries face threats of amilitary nature, although all are concerned with protecting their sovereignty andsovereign rights.

As the Pacific Islands, sea or maritime territory becomes an important aspect. Becausesea is not only the tool to connect one island to the others, but sea also can give incomefor the people around it. Maritime territory problem also can give impact toward national,regional, and global territory. Maritime security in South Pacific will be good support forAsia Pacific maritime security and beyond.

Till the beginning of the 90s, we were used to address maritime security, consideringthe only military threat, and our vital interests and territorial integrity. But after the end ofCold War, globalization has developed, as well as local crises. And globalizationbrought the sea being the main way of exchanging goods throughout the world. Thenmaritime security operations have developed in a way to mainly face non-militarythreats.

A major concern for the Pacific Islands region is that organized criminals, underincreasing pressure elsewhere, may move their operations to regions where theyperceive a lack of deterrence capability. That happened in this region potentially

disturbing the region stability and even global stability.

Marit ime security in South Pacif ic focuses on transnational crime such asillegal movement of people and drug trafficking. Besides that, il legal fishingalso become common problem. Moreover, transnational crime is susceptibleto terrorist activities, so it needs attention too from international community.


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more attention to the problem of states with a weak rule of law, lack of harmonization inregulation and the failure to have effective law enforcement cooperation acrossborders5.

Base on these facts, there are a lot of threats in maritime security in South Pacific Area.

This paper will explore and analyze the effort and cooperation to counter transnationalcrime in order to protect maritime security?

Rivalries between countries external to the South Pacific, however, on occasion dointrude and can complicate domestic politics in some jurisdictions. The presence of bigpowers in South Pacific also colouring the maritime security in region. How about theinfluence of big powers in South Pacific area?

3. Framework

Security is one of the important issues in the world, because it needed for development.

Beside of that, security also becomes the right for human. There are several definitionsof security. One come from Arnold Wolfers who said security is any objective sense,measures the absence of threats to acquire values, in a subjective sense, the absenceof fear that such values will be attacked.6

The traditional view identifies military security at the level of the state as being central tosecurity studies. It is a narrow conception which sees military conflict as the defining keyto security and it was common during the Cold War when issues of high politicsdominated national security agendas.7

The non-traditional view identifies a range of issues at various levels as being securityissues and therefore central to security studies. It is a wide conception which seesissues such as the environment, the management of scarce resources, populationgrowth, disease, transnational organised crime and economic recession as securityissues. Originally, these issues were considered low politics, but they rose toprominence on national security agendas during the 1980s and 1990s. 8 Because of thewider field, security becomes more prominent issue.

To solve the security problem, need to understand the condition and the threat. Fivedimension analyze from Barry Buzan can be used in order to understand how does theSouth Pacific solve their maritime security problems. Barry Buzan argues that the termsecurity consists of five dimensions:9

5L Shelley, The Nexus of Organised International Criminals and Terrorism, http://americanuniversity.com/academic.depts/acainst/transcrime/resources/publications/shelle51.pdf, accessed on 10 April 2008.

6 AA Bayu Perwita, Lecture handout of Security in Asia Pacific for ITB Defence ManagementPostgraduate.7 Tom Maley, Lecture handout of Terrorism for ITB Defence Management Postgraduate.8 Ibid.9 AA Bayu Perwita, op cit


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Military dimensions: involves the military capability/military build up of one stateboth conventional and non-conventional, military ideology, personnel etc.

Political dimensions: Involves the efforts to preserve political process, politicalsystem, and states ideology.

Economic dimension determines access to resources, market, finances and

provide the decisive basis for political influence and military power. Societal dimension including cultural values is less tangible but no less significant

for security. It provides the atmosphere in which the values will affect thebehavior of one state in the international system.

Environmental dimension concerns the maintenance of the planetary biosphereas the essential support system on which all other human enterprises demand.

To keep the existence of its nation state in the middle of threats, need to know wellabout internal and external condition. Analyzing from those conditions will make easierthe arrangement of proper strategy for South Pacific. Internal and external conditionscould be analyzed by using SWOT.

SWOT technique was introduced for the first time by Albert Humphrey who leadsresearch project in Stanford University in 1960 and 1970. SWOT is an acronym forstrength, weakness, opportunity, and threat. Strength is positive tangible and intangibleattributes which included internal factor. Weakness means factors that are within anorganizations control that detract from its ability to attain the desired goal. Opportunityis external attractive factors that represent the reason for an organization to exist anddevelop. Threat is external factors, beyond an organizations control, which could placethe organization mission or operation at risk. The organization may benefit by havingcontingency plans to address them if they should occur.10

After make list of strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat, need to make SWOTmatrix in order to know about the correct strategy that may to be taken. There are 4alternatives of strategy as the result of the matrix. They are SO, WO, ST, and WT.11

SWOT Matrix FormExternal

InternalOpportunity Threat

Strength SO Strategies ST StrategiesWeakness WO Strategies WT Strategies

SO strategy: This is a profitable situation because organization has opportunity andstrength to be maximized.ST strategy: In this situation, organization faces several threats but it remains haveinternal strength.

10 SWOT Analysis - Matrix, Tools Templates and Worksheets,http://www.rapidbi.com/created/SWOTanalysis.html, diakses pada Senin 30 Maret 2009.11 Rangkuti, Analisis SWOT Teknik Membedah Kasus Bisnis. Cet 12, Jakarta, 2005. Page 19
http://www.rapidbi.com/created/SWOTanalysis.htmlhttp://www.rapidbi.com/created/SWOTanalysis.html


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WO strategy: in this condition, organization facing big opportunity but also faces someinternal weakness.WT strategies: this is a disadvantage situation because organization has severalinternal threats and weakness.

Conflict of interest between states will be happen in multilateral cooperation, andinfluence security condition. Each country is struggling to achieve their nation interest,and try to dominate the other. Power Matrix analyse the capability of state or region todefend against threat, and the level of external security threat. If the presence ofexternal threat relative high, but capacity to defend also high, then will create balance ofpower. But, if the threat level is low, it will create hegemony cooperation.

Insecurity will be happen if capacity to defend is low, but the threat is high. The last,isolated small state is happen when the capacity to defend and threat level is low.

4. Analysis

Political Dimension

Maritime security problem can threat politically. Internal violence happens in severalentities in South Pacific. If maritime security in unsecure condition, it makes weaponsmuggling massively. The illegal weapon can support the riot in one country. Directly or


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indirectly, internal violence which happens in one country can give effect to the others. Itcan increase conflict escalation, and further decrease national stability. For exampleethnic conflict which happened in late 1990s in Solomon Islands. The villagers onGuadalcanal who felt they were not benefiting from the economic development of thecapital, Honiara, attacked and drove out several thousand people from the neighboring

island of Malaita over a period of months.12

It raises the tension in the regional level.

Traditionally, South Pacific has been considered a safe haven for cruising boats. Inrecent years a number of incidents have been reported in the area. A small number ofthese are pirate attacks, where one vessel hijacks another in high seas or coastalwaters, while the majority is robberies and armed robberies. If compared with other subregion like South East Asia and South Asia, only small number incident which happenon the sea territory of South Pacific. But it is still an issue in certain parts of the AsiaPacific.

Pirates activity appears because lack of law enforcement. Corruptions in every level of

governments give impact and also become the impact of the piracy on the sea. Andcorruption is a continuing problem, with political leaders often claiming traditionalleadership status should exempt them from normal rules on accepting gifts, distributinggovernment funds to their political supporters, or even facing scrutiny on these matters.

South Pacific also known as heaven for transnational crime because decreasing of drugsmuggling and arm smuggling. Drug smuggling is rise in Samoa massively. There is aroute of drug smuggling in South Pacific. Increasing transnational activities shows thatgovernment has less attention to that issue. It contributes to political instability.

Economical Dimension

Most of countries in the South Pacific region are developing country. Only Australia andNew Zealand which categorized as developed countries. Island states are heavily aiddependent. This creates issues with donor nations, such as Australia, New Zealand,France, and USA. Besides bilateral aid, some multinational organizations such asUnited Nations Development Program (UNDP), Asia Development Bank (ADB),International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank (WB) also give some aid. Foreignaid takes a part in the development process of South Pacific states.

Regional economic growth increased to 3.5 percent in 2004. Growth averaged 2.8percent between 2005 and 2007. Opportunities to work abroad are unevenly spreadacross the Pacific, but remittances have grown dramatically, with annual averagegrowth of 36 percent from 2000 to reach US$ 425 million in 2005. Most countries areshowing good macroeconomic management, but microeconomic performance ismixed.13

12Centre for Strategic Studies Victoria University of Wellington, South Pacific Strategic Challenges,http://www.victoria.ac.nz/css/docs/Strategic_Briefing_Papers/Vol.1%20Dec%201999/Sth%20Pacific.pdfaccessed on April 5, 2009.13 Pacific Economy Survey; Connecting the Region,http://www.pacificsurvey.org/UserFiles/file/Pacific%20Economic%20Survey08.pdf, accessedon 4 April 2009.
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/css/docs/Strategic_Briefing_Papers/Vol.1%20Dec%201999/Sth%20Pacific.pdfhttp://www.pacificsurvey.org/UserFiles/file/Pacific%20Economic%20Survey08.pdfhttp://www.victoria.ac.nz/css/docs/Strategic_Briefing_Papers/Vol.1%20Dec%201999/Sth%20Pacific.pdfhttp://www.pacificsurvey.org/UserFiles/file/Pacific%20Economic%20Survey08.pdf


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The GDP increasing in the Pacific in the nineties was at around the rate of populationgrowth, which is 2 to 3 percent per year. After negligible growth in the early years of thisdecade, growth increased to 3.5 percent in 2004. And growth averaged 2.8 percentbetween 2005 and 2007.14 If compared with economic growth in Caribbean and Sub

Saharan, Pacific Islands still left behind by progress.

As the maritime region, fishing is an important activity to support life of Pacific people.Fishing becomes a source of government revenue, employment, and export earnings.Half of more than two millions of tuna are caught annually in Pacific tuna fisheries, witha landed value in excess of US$ 3 billion.15 Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU)fishing is very serious issue. Actually there are no statistics on global IUU fishing inSouth Pacific. But if it happens continuously, it must be make countries which dependon fisheries, such as Kiribati, suffer financial loss.

Related with piracy on the sea, it is very bad for business. It gives unimportant added

cost for the shipping company, quay facility, producer, distributor, retailer, andcustomer. Ships which face piracy will be have high cost insurance because the ownersloss their ship content because of piracy and should pay higher insurance cost.Moreover the seller should compete with the pirate which sells goods in black market.High cost economy because of piracy will be obstacle for investment. Unpredictablesituation make investor have no willingness to invest. It cause unstable economiccondition not only in one state, but also in regional level, and further in internationalscope.

Social Dimension

Weapon smuggling which happen massively trigger increasing number of people whokeep and get access on the weapon. Weapon is not new one tool and the people whouse it are increase. The using of weapon can be social culture so it makes conflictgetting warm easily.

Social illness also rises because of drug smuggling. People can find prohibited drugeasily, so it dangers young generation. Beside of that the number of people with theHIV/AIDS also potentially increases. The risk of contracting HIV/AIDS and othersexually transmitted infections (STIs) is higher for seafarers than for many othercommunity groups as a result of patterns of sexual behaviour common amongseafarers. When these seafarers return home, their wives and other sexual partners areat high risk of also contracting STIs.16

Transnational crime in several forms is increase and spread in more political entities. Itmeans that criminal number also getting higher and often horrific. For instance, weapon

14 Ibid.15 Ibid.16 Regional Maritime Program of Secretariat of Pacific Community, Strategic Direction,http://www.spc.int/maritime/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=34,accessed on April 12, 2009.
http://www.spc.int/maritime/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=34http://www.spc.int/maritime/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=34


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smuggling is high in Papua New Guinea. It contributes the higher crime rates in thatcountry, mainly in urban area Port Moresby, Lea, Goroka, and Mount Hagen. Maritimesecurity problem will trigger regional and furthermore global social illness.

Environmental Dimension

Illegal fishing and pirate fishing as one form of maritime security problem usually catchfishes without regard the rule and environment, shortly, they do destructive activities.IUU fishing leaves communities without much needed food and income and the marineenvironment smashed and empty. It is disturbingly easy to become a fishing pirate andeven easier to evade capture.

It is more than an issue of theft. Environmental destruction goes hand in hand withpirate fishing. Because they operate, quite literally, off the radar of any enforcement, thefishing techniques they use are destroying ocean life.

Sometime many ships use long lines baited with thousand hooks lined up in a row andpulled behind the boat. Anything that sees the bait as food is caught. It can catch youngfish until big ocean creatures like shark and whale. It is a natural threat for national,regional, and global scope. If this activity did not stop, the natural balancing will bedisturbed. Some ocean creatures will be disappearing.

Military Dimension

Traditionally, maritime security problem is viewed from military dimension. Maritimethreat usually will be countered by military. That is why maritime states try to strengthentheir naval forces through boat patrol. Beside of that, the South Pacific countries alsostrengthen their intelligent military through joint with the Pacific Transnational Crime Co-ordination Centre (PTCCC) and Trans Crime Unit (TCU).

Transnational crimes in all forms, piracy, and maritime terrorism are threats for military.It is not only become threat and responsibility to overcome for one nation but also theregion and global actors. The build of military dimension may establish by 4 otherdimensions.

Economic

Dimension


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The five dimensions in related one to each others. If one dimension is threatened so theother dimensions also disturbed. For example, political threat is linkage with theeconomical threat. Political instability triggered economic instability. In other hand, tobuild social stability need to stabilize the other dimension. Relations between the

dimensions will be rotate and influence one to each other.

SWOT Analysis

Strength

South Pacific is rich of natural resources.

The region is dependent on primary resource extraction for economic development,which are mining, farming, forestry and fishing. 60 Percents of inhabitant from Fiji, CookIsland, Solomon Island, Tonga, Vanuatu, Western Samoa and Papua New Guineadependent their life to these sectors. In Papua New Guinea, gold and copper are the

main mining. Then nickel can be found in New Caledonia, Fiji, and Solomon Island.

The islanders also develop manufacture industry, mainly in Fiji, Papua New Guinea,and New Caledonia. International trade also becomes the activity which can support thenational income. Most countries export their natural produce like gold, coffee, cocoa,copper, oil palm, forest crop, and some products from coconut. The destination of theexport activities are European Union, USA, Japan, and Australia that give financial aidfor the islander as the mutual cooperation.17

Comprises a lot of nation states

In South Pacific there are 22 political entities. Although most of them is small with rarepopulation, but South Pacific regions have important role. Each of South Pacific islandnations has a vote at the United Nations because they are members. So this region willnot be leaved by the other country in the different region.

17 Pacific Island Economies: Prospects for Development Pacific Island Economies: Prospectsfor Development, attachment:/1/pacific-island-economies-prospects-development.htm,accessed on 5 April 2009.

Social

Dimension

Environme

nt

Political

DimensionMilitary

Dimension


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Weakness

Destabilize political condition

Some countries in the South Pacific region have experience on destabilize politicalcondition. For mention is Fiji. It has military coup history. Ethnic conflict had happened

in Solomon. Then people in Tonga remain struggle for democracy. This conditionmakes the region also instable in many aspects. It is worsening with the corruption inthe government.

Very dependent to the other country

From the 22 political entities in the South Pacific only nine which are independentstates. Eight political entities are overseas territory of one kind or another belonging toexternal states. Guam, the Northern Marianas, and American Samoa are belonging tothe USA. New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis & Futuna are belonging toFrench. Tokelau is belonging to New Zealand, and Pitcairn is belonging to UK. Palau,

The Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Island enjoy free associationstatus with USA. The Cook Island and Niue have free association status with NewZealand. Developed country play important role in order to give subsidy and take carethe stability. It makes this region very dependent on developed country.

Opportunity

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)EEZ increasing the ocean territory up to 200 nautical miles so enabling the SouthPacific countries can conduct ocean defence system as the protection layer. It makesenemy ship difficult to attack until land territory.

Water territory can be used as the relationship tool with the other countries regionally orinternationally. It implicates toward a country to have role and influence in theinternational relation. EEZ also give authority for absolute control or command of thesea so the countries freedom to use the sea without intervention from another actor.

Regional CooperationThere are several regional organizations in South Pacific. There are eight primaryregional organizations, which are the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), the Forum FisheriesAgency (FFA), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the South PacificRegional Environment Program (SPREP), the South Pacific Applied Geosciences

Commission (SOPAC), the University of the Pacific (USP), the South Pacific TourismOrganization (SPTO), and the Pacific Island Development Program (PIDP).

With that several cooperation, it facilitates them to solve their regional problems easier.There are intense communications on the specific issue to overcome the maritimeproblem. For example, Pacific Community and South Pacific Forum also give attentionto the maritime security problem. So regional cooperation which was built gives support


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to each other in the real activity. This gives opportunity for them to manage maritimesecurity better.

Threat

Drug trafficking, production, and use

The Pacific is no stranger to illicit drugs. The region has long been a transit point fordrug shipments destined for markets in the United States, Canada, Australia, and NewZealand. Examples include cocaine-stuffed Tongan yams bound for New Zealand, andheroin-filled pineapple tins sent from Asia to the Cook Islands for reshipping. In 2004,Islands Business reported that a 50 kilo packet of cocaine found floating in a Kiribatilagoon was thought to be washing powder and used for laundry purposes at US$50,000a kilo18.

What has changed is the size of drug shipments. In 2000, police seized 357 kg of heroin

from a Suva warehouse. At the time, it was the fifth-largest shipment ever found outsideheroin-producing countries. Until then, the head of the Fiji drug squad had never seenheroin. Four years later, 120 kg of heroin was found buried on a beach in Vanuatu lessthan half an hour from the capital, Port Vilathe biggest seizure in its history. This haulwas linked to Chinese nationals behind the 2000 bust in Fiji. Large shipments ofcocaine have also been seized in Tonga (2001) and Samoa (2006)19. Their very sizeindicates they were destined for bigger markets such as Australia.Pacific islands are used as a transit point between source countriesEast Asia for iceand heroin, and South America for cocaineand markets in the United States, Canada,Australia, and New Zealand. Routing drugs through the Pacific disguises the origin of

shipments. As shipping routes in other parts of the world come under increasedsurveillance, the region also becomes a more attractive alternative route. Some fivethousand vessels cross the region on any given day. Large shipments can betransferred from a mother ship into smaller boats that speed to isolated atolls to awaittransit to the next destination20.

18 John Murray, The Minnows of Triton: Policing, Politics, Crime and Corruption in the SouthPacific Islands (Sydney: 2006), p 19419 Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Transnational Crime Strategic Assessment(April 2006),5.20 John McFarlane, Transnational Crime and Asia-Pacific Security, in The Many Faces of

Asian Security, ed. Sheldon W. Simon (Lanham: Littlefield Publishers, 2001), p 200.


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Drug Trafficking Cases in South Pacific

Illegal migration and people-smuggling

Criminal activities are linked. It is thought that Chinese gang members were sent to thePacific up to a decade ago, with islands such as Fiji and Tonga providing operationalbases from which to expand21.Gangs originally viewed the region as a back door toAmerican drug markets via Palau, Micronesia, and Guam in the north, and Fiji, Tonga,and American Samoa in the south. (American Samoa and Guam are US territories witheasy access to the US mainland)22. Drug trafficking routes were then used for illegalmigration, so that Chinese organised crime island-hopped across the region. Someillegal migrants work in black labour markets, mainly in prostitution and illegal gambling.Others establish small businesses that often act as fronts for crime.

The illegal population in the South Pacific is conservatively estimated at twentythousand. Southern China is the main source of illegal migrants, with some seventhousand arriving in Fiji between 2003 and 2005 alone, and ten thousand arriving inPapua New Guinea since 2003. Many simply overstay student, visitor, or business visasby disappearing into established networks. Others use false or altered passports andvisas to gain entry23. Some buy citizenship not long after arriving, by bribing officials to

21 Jim Rolfe, Oceania and Terrorism: Some Linkages with the Wider Region and theNecessary Responses, Working Paper 19/04 (New Zealand: Victoria University of Wellington,Centre for Strategic and International Studies, 2004), p 7.22 John Hill, Transnational Crime Proves Problematic in Pacific Islands, p 8.23 Michael Moriarty, Border Management in the Pacific Region, Pasifika Series Draft Paper(New Zealand: Victoria University, Institute of Policy Studies, 2006), p 13.


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overlook long-term residency requirements. They then pressure officials to admit moremigrants. Their ultimate destination is often Australia.Illegal migration, including human trafficking, occurs in the Pacific as well as the use ofpleasure craft to circumvent border control. Instances of people smuggling in the regionhave increased: its been estimated that the illegal migrant population in the region

(excluding Australia and NZ) was approximately 4,500 in 2003 and 9,000 in 2004. Themajority are Chinese nationals using states such as Palau and Fiji as transit points forother destinations.

IUU fishingWith the decline in fish stocks around the world, fisheries protection and lawenforcement have become major tasks for maritime security forces. For the PICs, itsthe principal task for their small sea patrol forces. Illegal fishing is the main transnationalcrime at sea in the region. Rather than the lack of a license to fish, illegal fishing in theregion is now more a matter of breaches of licensing agreements, such as theunreported transfer of fish catch at sea and under-reported catches.

The economic loss to the PICs as a consequence of IUU fishing is estimated by theFFA to be about $400 million per annum. There is evidence of a significant increase inillegal fishing ranging throughout the central Pacific through French Polynesia, CookIslands and Kiribati. The majority of reports concern large purse seiners flagged to LatinAmerican countries. Some are licensed to fish in Kiribatis EEZ. These vessels normallyoperate in the eastern Pacific, but as fishing conditions for tuna in that region are nowdepressed there, these vessels are moving west.

Foreign fishing vessels are becoming cleverer at avoiding arrest, and based on theAustralian experience, may also be becoming more prepared to use violence against

boarding parties. Its very difficult to catch fishing vessels doing something illegal whenthey get smart: using diversionary tactics, monitoring patrol boat movements andlistening in on patrol boat communications. Fishing licensing and enforcement is also amajor area of corruption in the region, with fisheries officers open to bribes for the issueof licenses or to secure the release of arrested vessels

These are indiscriminate fishing methods that can have devastating impacts on marinespecies and habitats.24 It puts unsustainable pressure on fish stocks, marine wildlife andhabitats, subverts labour standards and distorts markets. It may damage fragile marineecosystems and vulnerable species such as coral reefs, turtles and seabirds.

In the SWOT matrix, we give biggest score for strength and opportunity dimensions sowe establish SO strategy. It means that the organization has big opportunity to developand show its existence. In other hand the organization have internal strength whichpotentially can support the opportunity.

24 Marine Stewardship Council, Environmental Impact, http://www.msc.org/healthy-oceans/the-oceans-today/environmental-impact, accessed on April 13 2009.
http://www.msc.org/healthy-oceans/the-oceans-today/environmental-impacthttp://www.msc.org/healthy-oceans/the-oceans-today/environmental-impacthttp://www.msc.org/healthy-oceans/the-oceans-today/environmental-impacthttp://www.msc.org/healthy-oceans/the-oceans-today/environmental-impact


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This strategy can be established by regional organization. There are several regionalorganizations in South Pacific; one of them is Pacific Community. In order to keepmaritime security, Pacific Community has regional maritime program. It is part of theMarine Resources Division, which also includes the Coastal Fisheries Program and theOceanic Fisheries Program.

Pacific Community understands well about the importance of Pacific region, that is whythey give attention to the maritime security issue in South Pacific as the sub region ofAsia Pacific. Traditionally, Pacific water becomes an important way for trade and shiptraffic. As we know most international trade and commerce are conducted by sea andmost goods reach regional and national markets by sea transport.

Moreover most Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) rely on the sea forsustenance fisheries, coastal transportation and employment in shipping or on fishingvessels. Pacific Community has willingness to maximize the internal strength that theyhave. Because they realize that in small or big number, maritime sector has give

economical contribution for the people and state.

In order to give contribution in the building of maritime security regime, PacificCommunity through Regional Maritime Program try to strengthen human resourcecapacity, establish strong professional networks in the Pacific maritime sector, and gainnational, regional and international recognition of Pacific maritime needs and priorities.25

To minimize the threat of maritime security, there is other cooperation, which are:

1. PTCCCThe AFP has built a regional network, establishing Transnational Crime Units inmember states of the Pacific Islands Forum, coordinated since June 2004 by the PacificTransnational Crime Co-ordination Centre (PTCCC). The PTCCC was originallylocated in Suva (Fiji) but moved to Apia (Samoa) in 2008, after the December 2006military coup in Fiji led to deterioration in regional relations.26

The PTCCCprovide a proactive transnational criminal intelligence capability to PacificRegion Law Enforcement Agencies Management and coordination of intelligencegenerated by TCU Unit To facilitate and enhance the exchange of law enforcementintelligence throughout the Pacific Region Engagement with broader Pacific LawEnforcement Agencies-Customs, and Immigration & Police.

PTCCC also provide capacity building and professional development for TCCC teammember Monitoring TCU Unit Response capacity to support TCUs with additional staff.The PTCCC will coordinate, facilitate and action requests for information from all PacificRegion Law Enforcement Agencies;Coordinate multi-agency regional intelligence collection and regional investigations

25 Regional Maritime Program of Secretariat of Pacific Community, Strategic Direction, op cit.26 /www.globalcollab.org/Nautilus/australia/australia-in-pacific/pacific-transnational-crime-coordination-centre, accessed on 10 April 2008.


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2. FFA

The regional regime for the prevention of illegal fishing activities has in the past beenthe responsibility of the Forum Fisheries Agency. The FFA has broadened its focus inrecent times and recognizes it has a wider role to play in maritime security and in

working with other agencies to provide maritime security in the region.

The vessel monitoring system (VMS) established by the FFA is an important capabilityfor regional maritime security. Licensed fishing vessels are fitted with an AutomaticLocation Communicator (ALC), which sends a signal (via satellite) to FFA. Any foreignfishing vessel that wishes to apply for a licence to fish in waters of an FFA membercountry must first be registered on the VMS Register of Foreign Fishing Vesselsmaintained by the FFA. VMS data belongs to the individual PIC, but sharing data is nowbecoming common. The US and France have been seeking data access arrangements.So far the distant water fishing nations have not expressed concern about VMS databeing used for wider security purposes.

3. Vehicle Support under the South Pacific Forum

The Pacific Island countries response capability is mainly provided by the patrol boatssupplied by Australia. Twenty-two boats have now been donated by Australia to twelverecipient countries. These vessels have a length of 31.5 metres, a top speed of 21knots, and a range of 2,500 miles (at 12 knots and nil fuel remaining) and a complementof 17.


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The project involves not just the boats, but training for the crews, naval advisers postedto each recipient country, and through-life logistic and technical support through theFollow-On Support Agency. The naval advisers usually comprise one officer with patrolboat experience as Maritime Surveillance Adviser, and one or two senior sailors with

marine engineering or electrical specialisations as Technical Advisers. The provision ofthese in-country advisers has brought extra benefits to Australia with regard to theirinfluence at the local level. For most countries, Australia provides additional funds tocover some of the costs of operating.

7. Involvement of other countries

United States

The United States is a key stakeholder in maritime security in the Pacific through theTerritory of Guam, its Territory of American Samoa and the Commonwealth of theNorthern Marianas and its Compacts of Free Association with the former US TrustTerritories of Micronesia: Palau, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and theMarshall Islands. The existing Compacts of Free Association between the US and theMicronesian countries cover defence and foreign policy but are worded in pre 9/11terminology and do not reflect current security concerns and broader homeland securityconsiderations. After some years of relatively low involvement in maritime security forthe PICs, the US has recently increased its level of assistance.


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The US Navy and US Coast Guard (USCG) have provided assistance with airsurveillance and occasional visits by USCG cutters have provided the opportunity fortraining assistance to local maritime security forces. There has been a much higher rateof effort from the USCG over the past year in Micronesia with cutters in the regionembarking authorised fisheries offices from Palau, FSM, Marshall Islands and Kiribati

and with more aerial surveillance27

.

The Joint Interagency Task Force West (JIATF West), based in Hawaii, plays animportant role in fostering intelligence collection special report and maritime securitycooperation in the Pacific. While its primary role is countering drug-related transnationalthreats, JIAFT West is closely aligned with US Pacific Commands Theater SecurityCooperation, War on Terrorism, and Maritime Security priorities in planning, developingand implementing counter-drug programs in Asia and the Pacific. It provides US andforeign law enforcement with fused inter-agency information and intelligence analysis,and with counter-drug training and infrastructure development support. The JIATF Weststaff comprises members of all five military services, as well as representatives from the

national intelligence community and US federal law enforcement agencies. The AFPworks closely with the JIATF West both directly and through the PTCN.

FranceFrance has the overseas collectivises of New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallisand Futuna. The French Navy provides some air surveillance support, especially toVanuatu and in the southern Solomon, around French Polynesia and a small effort inthe Cook Islands. The French navy has a couple of deployments each year from theirtier two ships staying within a 1500NM radius (approx) of their operating bases. Theyalso have some larger frigates that deploy into Asia, that spend some time working withthe PICs.

French are keen to participate more actively in maritime surveillance, but they have nodeployed liaison officers. Trying to engage within the Pacific from offices in NewCaledonia or Tahiti has sometimes proved difficult. The only operational link they havein the region is one to one with FFAs surveillance operations officer. Every few yearsthe French run an exercise that has amphibious and airborne elements that some PICsattend. There is no working level plan integrating French, Australian and New Zealandsurveillance efforts.

ChinaChina is becoming much more actively involved in the PICs, particularly in the twolargest regional countries, Papua New Guinea and Fiji. It has wiped out all PIC debt ofabout US$700 million over three years and built facilities in Tonga for the ForumLeaders meeting in October 2007. While much of this activity is cheque bookdiplomacy to counter Taiwanese influence, China does have growing commercialinterests in the region, particularly in the fishing industry. China is a contributor to theWCPFC. Their only blue water naval engagement in the region seems to be national

27 Australian Strategic Policy Institute.Australia and South Pacific. (March, 2008) p 55


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defence-related such as the deployment of a satellite-tracking ship to Fiji and down-range of US facilities.

JapanJapan is one country with a major stake in the region but so far has not been involved in

cooperative arrangements to any great extent despite having significant skills andresources to assist in capacity building for regional maritime security. Largely throughthe Japan Coast Guard, Japan has been very active in Southeast Asia in assisting tobuild the capacity of countries in that region to deal with piracy and the threat ofmaritime terrorism. It may be possible to get Japan involved in a similar way in thePacific islands region.

TaiwanTaiwan has diplomatic relations with Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, SolomonIslands and Tuvalu. Taiwan holds regular regional naval visits to those recognizing it(two frigate/destroyer size vessels and one replenishment vessel). They have had

coastguard-type vessels apparently on patrol from time to time in the EEZs of some ofthe Micronesian states. In recent times there has Australia and the South Pacific: Risingto the challenge been various Taiwanese efforts to try to link themselves to the

Australian PPB project, through funding maintenance activities such as slipping,infrastructure development, and maritime law enforcement training. This mightprecipitate a significantly negative and tangible response from China concerned aboutthe establishment of Taiwanese naval relations with the South Pacific. This would raisethe prospects of blue water competition in the region, a competition Taiwan willinevitably lose and which will not leave the region safer.

9. Analysis Relation between Countries

Australia and New Zealand play the main role in south pacific multilateral cooperation.They have the biggest GDP than others, and give support to another countriescooperation, such as PTCCC that initiated by them. So, at intra south pacificcooperation that created hegemony by Australia to other countries.

But when we looking the presence of big powers in SP, the relation tend to balance ofpower. However, big countries such as France, USA have long colonial history at theregion. But the SP right now also trying to independent, and strengthening theirregional cooperation.

However when we look the relation of each countries in the pacific island they verydependent. Because of them can be surviving by depending from aid of super powersuch as American Samoa, Marshall Island, Palau and others. The relation becomesmall states dominated by big powers, and created insecurity or vulnerability. Becausethe small countries may collapse if big power stopping their aid


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10. Recommendation

PTCCC should broadening its function, not just as sharing in information andintelligence, but also regional act and arrest right.

South Pacific Countries should establish strong regional coordination on maritimesecurity issue in order to collect, fuse and analyze all sources of data; manage andschedule regional air and surface assets; receive bids for surveillance time fromregional countries; provide recommendations for action to individual countries;coordinate response from regional or national assets; coordinate funding from aiddonors plus national contributions; and liaise with national points of contact. Tomanage maritime security, South Pacific need to maximize the role all of regionalorganization.

Coastal Patrol Vessels (CPVs) need to be operated by the PICs at a national level inorder to decrease dependency to the super power countries.

Australia should consider giving more support through AusAID to support developmentof maritime security system in South Pacific region.

There should be more balances of power in south pacific area, so the capability of eachcountry to counter threat or transnational crime becomes better.


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