SHIPS AND VESSELS

All ships and vessels travelling to Fiji need to meet a number of requirements before and on arrival to ensure Fiji’s environment, agriculture, economy and people are protected from exotic invasive pests and diseases. This page sets out the conditions for ships and vessels wishing to enter Fiji waters.

CRUISE SHIPS

Before Arrival

The masters or agents of all arriving cruise ships are required to report to Fiji Revenue and Customs Services (FRCS) the intention to dock in Fiji 48 hours before arrival through the “Advance Notice of Arrival” (ANA) form. This form can be sent to any of the FRCS offices at Fiji’s international ports or emailed to criuseshipsreport@frcs.org.fj

All vessels must arrive at an approved place of first arrival. In Fiji, the approved seaports of first entry for cruise ships are:

• Suva
• Lautoka
• Levuka
• Savusavu

On Arrival

Masters of the vessels will be required to fill the “Master’s Declaration Form” listing all the food products (fresh and frozen produce, meat, dairy and poultry, etc.) on board and also identify any animals carried by the vessel. Masters of the vessels are also to provide information on refuse and pest management measures. They are also responsible for:

• Ensuring the passenger arrival form which lists the number of passengers and crew members on board is filled out.
• Ensuring all animals are secured on board until Biosecurity inspection.
• Ensuring all refuse generated on the vessel is placed in a suitable leak-proof container with a lid and the container is securely fastened at all times and kept on-board the vessel.
• Ensuring no stores are landed off-board unless cleared by a Biosecurity Officer.

YACHTS

Yachts and pleasure crafts are welcome in Fiji. However, international yachts entering Fiji waters are considered to be of high biosecurity risk and are closely monitored by BAF.  It is vital for yacht owners to be aware of the biosecurity clearance procedures for yachts and other pleasure crafts. These procedures are outline below.

Biosecurity clearance procedures

Once in Fiji waters, the yacht or pleasure craft should proceed to the designated port of entry. The master or captain of the yacht must declare to BAF the following:

• the destination seaport in Fiji and the estimated time of arrival of the vessel
• its immediate preceding port or place of call
• the proposed itinerary of the vessel until it leaves Fiji
• the presence of any live animal(s) or live plant(s) on the vessel
• any other matter relevant to facilitating biosecurity landing clearance of the yachts

The above declaration must be made at least 24 hours before the estimated time of arrival.

The vessel master must complete a “Master’s Declaration Form” declaring all biosecurity risk items on board. Items to declare include:

• Food (tinned/packed), including meat, sausages, salami, ham, poultry, eggs, milk, butter, cheese, other dairy products, honey, etc.;
• Plants or parts of plants (live or dead) including vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, bulbs, flowers (fresh or dry), mushrooms, straw, bamboo or any other articles made of plant materials;
• Animal products including feathers, fur/skin, shells, hatching eggs;
• Animals, reptiles, fish, birds (or parts thereof), alive or dead, stuffed or mounted;
• Soil or equipment used with animals or equipment that has come in contact with soil;
• Biological specimens including vaccines, cultures, blood or any other biological material

Domesticated pets (cats, dogs, birds, etc.) must be bonded with BAF and kept on board the yacht/pleasure craft at all times.

Some of the above mentioned items may not be permitted to be kept on-board the yacht for the duration of the visit in Fiji. What is allowed to stay on-board will be at the discretion of the Biosecurity Officer at the time of inspection, depending on the risk the item(s) represent.

The yacht master should ensure that no refuse of any type is discharged from the yacht into the sea while the yacht is in Fiji. All refuse generated on the vessel must be placed in a suitable leak-proof container with a lid or double-bagged and the containers/bags must be securely fastened at all times and kept aboard the yacht. The refuse can only be removed from the yachts under the directions of a Biosecurity Officer.

The above guidelines must stringently be followed to avoid penalties being imposed for non-compliance.

Live animals on yachts
Yachts arriving in Fiji with live cats, dogs, pet birds, etc. must pay a bond to the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) as security against the pet(s) coming ashore while in Fiji’s territorial waters. The bond payment is FJD 1,500 which is refundable upon departure from Fiji if bond conditions are not breached.

Generally, no animals will be permitted to come ashore in Fiji and must remain on board the yacht at all times while in Fiji’s territorial waters. Cats, dogs and other pet animals cannot be imported into Fiji via yachts. If an animal is to be imported into Fiji it will require the usual import permit through previous stated methods

Cats and dogs must be vaccinated against rabies not more than twelve (12) and not less than six (6) months before arriving in Fiji. One (1) month after the rabies vaccination of the dog/cat, it must be subjected to the Rabies Neutralization Antibody Titre Test (RNATT) with a positive result of no less than 0.5 IU per ml. Vaccination certificates and laboratory tests results must be original and made available to the Biosecurity Officer(s) when Biosecurity boarding and inspection is carried out at the first (1^st) port of entry.

Pet birds (e.g. parrots, finches, canaries, etc.) on yachts must be free from Newcastle Disease without vaccination and must have been tested free of Newcastle Disease six (6) months prior to arrival in Fiji. Also, they should not have been in the waters of countries not free of Newcastle Disease without vaccination less than six (6) months prior to arrival in Fiji. Pet birds must be in locked cages at all times and the animal must not be brought on shore at any time.

Other species of pet animals are prohibited from entry into Fiji waters via yachts.

By taking these precautionary measures visitors will enjoy traversing the pristine waters and unparalleled scenery of Fiji without the worry that their pets may pose biosecurity risk to the native fauna, flora, the environment and the friendly people of Fiji.

For further information or clarification please contact the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji on phone 3312512, fax 3305043 or email info@baf.com.fj.Enquires can also be made in person at any of the BAF offices located around Fiji.