Fijian government's Cabinet has endorsed a national procedure for Marine Scienti

The Fijian government's Cabinet has endorsed a national procedure for Marine Scientific Research (MSR), which is aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

This move aims to bolster the country's capacity to manage and benefit from research activities conducted in its marine jurisdiction. MSR is critical for advancing knowledge about the ocean and its resources, and it encompasses a broad range of activities including ocean drilling, deploying autonomous underwater vehicles, using fish aggregation devices, and conducting studies of the marine ecosystem with tools such as echo sounders, plankton nets, and conductivity probes to measure temperature and depth.

Fiji currently lacks the necessary resources to undertake comprehensive MSR expeditions independently and thus relies on international collaborations to gather data. The newly approved procedure seeks to enhance the nation's involvement in and control over these research efforts by ensuring better inter-agency communication and coordination. This will help protect Fiji's intellectual property rights concerning marine resource discoveries, bolster maritime security, and improve data management practices.

The decision reflects the government's commitment to safeguarding the country's vast maritime resources and leveraging them for sustainable development while adhering to international laws and standards. By streamlining the process for MSR, Fiji hopes to attract more international research initiatives and ultimately benefit from the scientific findings and technological advancements that such collaborations can bring. The details of the Cabinet's decision can be found at the provided link for further information on the specific measures and policies that will be implemented to achieve these objectives.