Twenty-eight students graduated from the FNU Fiji Maritime Academy in Nasese, Suva after the completion of the month-long deckhand fishing program last week.
They were part of the WWF-Pacific and Fiji Maritime Authority coordinated program with the support of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) – Bycatch and Integrated Ecosystem Management (BIEM) initiative.
The BIEM initiative is a key result of area five of the Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) program, which is funded by the European Union and the Government of Sweden and is executed by SPREP. Out of the 90 scholarships offered, 65 participants were chosen for the course.
The two courses that were part of the program were Basic Sea Safety and Deckhand Fishing. Officiating at the event, Fiji Maritime Academy chief executive officer Captain Rajitha Semage said Fiji had a demand for trade personnel in the fishing industry.
“At FNU we are tirelessly working towards the betterment of the Fijian people as well as people from the region itself,” he said.
“This is emphasised in our 2021-2026 strategic plan, whereby the first period is education for employability.
“The study program which the graduates have successfully completed directly relates to that.
“I believe our students will be easily absorbed into the workforce by the fishing vessels to work their craft as deckhands.”
Mr Semage reminded the graduates that working out at sea was not for the lighthearted.
“Through my observations, if anyone is made for the sea, it is the Fijian people and the people from the South Pacific island region.
“The sea is embedded in your way of life. It is a part of you. Respect the sea and it will respect you back.
“Go sail the high seas equipped with the knowledge you have gained through this training.”
The second cohort of the deckhand fishing program will start classes on August 22.
