A man walks wearing facemak as a preventive measure against the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in front of the US Navy hospital ship Mercy on March 28, 2020 at the Port of Los Angeles in the city of San Pedro, California. (APU GOMES / AFP)
SYDNEY – The Solomon Islands has suspended entry into its waters for foreign navy ships pending adoption of a new process for approval of port visits, the prime minister's office said on Tuesday, in a bid to better police its exclusive economic zones.
The suspension of entry followed incidents last week when a US Coast Guard vessel, the Oliver Henry, and a Royal Navy vessel, HMS Spey, were unable to make port calls because the government did not respond to requests to refuel and provision.
The suspension of entry for foreign navy ships followed incidents last week when a US Coast Guard vessel, the Oliver Henry, and a Royal Navy vessel, HMS Spey, were unable to make port calls because the government did not respond to requests to refuel and provision
"We have requested our partners to give us time to review, and put in place our new processes, before sending further requests for military vessels to enter the country," Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare said in a statement.
"These will universally apply to all visiting naval vessels," he said in a statement emailed to Reuters.
Sogavare added that he wanted to build national capacity to police the Pacific island nation's exclusive economic zones.
The Solomon Islands have had "unfortunate experiences of foreign naval vessels entering the country's waters during the course of the year without diplomatic clearance granted", the statement said, without naming the countries.
The suspension of naval ship visits will be lifted when a new process is in place.
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In a speech on Tuesday afternoon to welcome the visiting US hospital ship Mercy, Sogavare said the delay over the Oliver Henry was because information had not been sent to his office on time.
He also confirmed delays in approving entry for the British navy ship Spey, which cancelled its planned port call.
Approval procedures
In a speech on Tuesday afternoon to welcome the visiting US hospital ship Mercy, Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare said the delay over the Oliver Henry was because information had not been sent to his office on time
Earlier, the US embassy in the Australian capital said the Solomon Islands had notified it of a moratorium on navy vessels entering its ports.
"On Aug 29, the United States received formal notification from the government of Solomon Islands regarding a moratorium on all naval visits, pending updates in protocol procedures," the embassy said in a statement.
The Mercy had arrived before the moratorium, the embassy said, adding that it was monitoring the situation.
The Oliver Henry and HMS Spey were on patrol for illegal fishing in the South Pacific for a regional fisheries agency at the time they sought entry to refuel at Honiara, the Solomons' capital.
The United States announced plans in July to battle illegal fishing in the Pacific, as part of increased US engagement with the region.
An Australian defense spokesman said diplomatic clearances for visiting foreign vessels was a matter for the government of the Solomon Islands.
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"Australia continues to work with Solomon Islands to meet its security priorities and the region’s collective maritime security objectives," the spokesperson said.
A Royal Navy spokesperson said it "looks forward to visiting the Solomon Islands at a later date".