British High Commissioner to Fiji, Brian Jones, says that with advancements in technology and border crimes becoming more sophisticated, countries are now dealing with a very complex definition of maritime security.

This complexity makes the job of a maritime officer tough.

Jones stresses that there is no economic security without maritime security.

He says the challenges for maritime professionals are great, but they can be overcome with deep determination and ambition.

“Maritime security isn’t just about the surface of the sea. It’s not only just about shipping and how you detect those who are floating. It’s also about the seabed. It’s about the cables that are going to carry billions of dollars worth of data”

Jones says the term “nuclear” is a distraction, as criminals are now using more sophisticated tools for drug shipments.

“You’ll see in other parts of the world that some of the more effective and large drug cartels use their own built submarines to move tons of drugs to markets and transition points in the ocean and to countries sitting in the middle like Fiji.”

Minister for Home Affairs Pio Tikoduadua has proposed the establishment of an Oceanic Alliance for the Security of Island States, which he says will be a formal platform for Pacific Island States to collectively address the security challenges that we currently face.