French Polynesia News

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has charged six crew members of a merchant vessel following a joint investigation into an organised crime syndicate which allegedly imported one tonne of cocaine into Australia. It will be alleged the men from Honduras and Ecuador operated a specially modified 40m vessel found to contain three professionally built and installed smuggling hides. An investigation into the vessel began in January 2026, after French authorities intercepted the ship in international waters.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Border Force have congratulated authorities in French Polynesia over the reported seizure of about 4.87 tonnes of cocaine intercepted in the Pacific Ocean, with the drugs reportedly bound for Australia.AFP Commander Stephen Jay commended the work of the authorities in French Polynesia and said: “AFP members posted in the Pacific and Taskforce Thunder members will seek to work collaboratively with authorities in French Polynesia…

A dawn ceremony has been held in Auckland, New Zealand, to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior.On July 10, 1985, French Government agents used two bombs to sink the Rainbow Warrior at Marsden Wharf in Auckland Harbour. It came at the height of the Greenpeace campaign to stop French nuclear testing in the Pacific.The ship was destroyed and one crewmember killed.Greenpeace tells the story:10 July 1985. The Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior is moored in Auckland…

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday (June 10) met with leaders of Pacific island nations on the sidelines of a United Nations ocean conference in the southern French city of Nice.Macron discussed the impacts of climate change to the Oceania nations, one of the regions most prone to rising sea levels, and said Paris "will use its diplomacy in close link with our common interests in the Pacific."France possesses overseas territories in the Pacific, which includes New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna.The meeting comes as delegates are meeting for the U.N.

Australia does not have nuclear power stations, and it does not have nuclear weapons.I remember having lessons and debates on it in high school, many years ago. My favorite science teacher was dead against either use of nuclear technology.One of the most interesting arguments I remember hearing was that the technology developments that make nuclear power more efficient would also help make nuclear bombs more efficient.Fiji is much the same as Australia, and it has even ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons…

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) and crew returned to the United States, arriving in San Francisco Sunday, following a 128-day deployment to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze (ODF) 2025.Polar Star completed its 28th voyage to Antarctica in support of the joint military service mission to resupply and maintain the United States Antarctic Stations. Every year, a joint total force team works together to complete a successful Operation Deep Freeze in support of the U.S.

Australia's Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island will be connected by subsea cable to the northern garrison city of Darwin, a project backed by Alphabet's Google that Australia says will boost its digital resilience.Christmas Island is 1,500 km (930 miles) west of the Australian mainland, with a small population of 1,250, but strategically located in the Indian Ocean, 350 km (215 miles) from Jakarta.The cable announcement comes as the Australian and U.S. militaries upgrade airfields in Australia's north, where a rotating force of U.S.

Austal Limited announced Austal Vietnam has been awarded a contract to design and construct a 71-meter roll-on-roll-off (RORO) passenger cargo vessel for The Degage Group of French Polynesia.The new steel monohull ferry design includes an aluminium superstructure accommodating up to 140 seated passengers and 17 crew, and features a main cargo deck area of 494 square meters; capable of transporting a combination of 10- and 20-foot containers, palletized cargo and vehicles.With a cruising speed of 12 knots and a range of 1…

Austal Vietnam has delivered a new high-speed catamaran to the Degage Group of French Polynesia. The 66-meter Apetahi Express completed a series of sea trials off the coast of Vung Tau in May 2023 and is now preparing for its maiden voyage to French Polynesia. The ferry is anticipated to commence operations between Pape’ete (Tahiti) and Vaitape (Bora Bora) in French Polynesia in July 2023.The new Austal Passenger Express 66 catamaran features a length overall (LOA) of 66.4 meters, beam of 15.2 meters and draft of 1.8 meters.

Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) announced it has appointed Daniel Zech as the organization’s business development manager.Zech, originally a Bellingham local, sailed on vessels from French Polynesia to the Caribbean for over a decade. His maritime career took him to the Charter House Yacht Club in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he managed day-to-day operations for a charter fleet of 28 catamarans and monohulls for multiple years. In addition, his experience…

Shipbuilder Austal Vietnam announced Wednesday that it has launched a new high-speed catamaran built at the company’s shipyard in Vung Tau for the Degage Group of French Polynesia.The 66-meter Apetahi Express is undergoing final fit-out, prior to sea trials which are due to commence in May. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in June 2023. The new ferry is anticipated to commence operations between Pape’ete (Tahiti) and Vaitape (Bora Bora) in French Polynesia in July 2023.Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said…

French ship owner and operator Socatra has signed a contract with auxiliary wind propulsion systems manufacturer Norsepower for the retrofit installation of two Norsepower Rotor Sails️ on the medium range (MR) tanker Alcyone.The 50,000 dwt, 2022 built, French flag tanker - chartered by global energy company TotalEnergies – will be retrofitted with two 35 m x 5 m Norsepower Rotor Sails. The units will be delivered in December 2023 from Norsepower’s new production hub in China, with installation scheduled for Q4 2023 or Q1 2024.According to Norsepower…

The Austal shipyard in Vietnam has ordered 4 × 16V175D-MM engines, delivering 2,720 kW at 1,800 rpm for water-jet propulsion, in connection with the building of a high-speed catamaran ferry for customer, the Degage Group. The 66-meter, 574-passenger ferry is scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2023 and will operate as the Apetahi Express between Pape’ete (Tahiti) and Vaitape (Bora Bora) in French Polynesia. The new ferry will have a contracted top speed of 35.8 knots and a range of 360 nautical miles.Tuanua Degage…

The Coast Guard’s 353-ton, 154-foot fast response cutter (WPC) is capable of deploying independently to conduct missions that include port, waterways and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national defense. The service plans to build 64 of them to replace the 110-foot Island class patrol boats. The FRC has a range of 2,500 miles, but the endurance of the 24 crewmembers is normally limited to about five days based on the quantity of provisions carried. Both the 110s and 154s have about the same speed and range…

Australian shipbuilder Austal has been awarded a €20.5 million ( around USD 24 million) contract to design and build a 66-meter high-speed catamaran ferry for repeat client The Degage Group of French Polynesia.The new Austal ‘Passenger Express 66’ catamaran features a length overall (LOA) of 66.4 meters, beam of 15.2 meters, and draft of 1.8 meters. Over two passenger decks, the vessel will be able to accommodate 574 passengers, with an additional 80 seats available on an external sun deck. Crew accommodation includes 7 two-berth cabins and 2 single-berth cabins.

Carnival Corp’s Princess Cruises said on Wednesday its voyages would remain suspended through the end of summer as reduced flights and travel bans around the globe bring the industry to a virtual standstill.Holland America Line, Carnival’s another unit, said it has canceled all cruises for Alaska, Europe and Canada and New England for the year, as well as its Amsterdam vessel that was scheduled to depart in October to Fort Lauderdale, Florida from Boston.“As we continue to navigate through these unprecedented and challenging times…

The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation has released their findings from the largest coral reef survey and mapping expedition ever conducted in French Polynesia.The Global Reef Expedition: French Polynesia Final Report provides a comprehensive summary of the research findings from the expedition, an assessment of the health and resiliency of French Polynesia’s coral reefs, and recommendations for preserving French Polynesia’s coral reefs into the future.The Foundation embarked on the Global Reef Expedition to understand the coral reef crisis on a global scale. As part of the Expedition, an international team of 73 scientists worked side by side with local experts to gain a thorough census of reef health throughout French Polynesia.Over the course of seven months…

The China Navigation Company (CNCo) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment (SPREP) have today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to address critical waste management issues in the Pacific islands. Known as the “Moana Taka Partnership”, this MOU allows for CNCo vessels to carry containers of recyclable waste from eligible Pacific island ports, pro bono, to be sustainably treated and recycled in suitable ports in Asia Pacific. “This historic partnership will be of great benefit to our Pacific islands, and one for which we are very appreciative to The China Navigation Company,” said Kosi Latu, Director General of SPREP. “Our Pacific islands face an immense waste management challenge.

When ms Amsterdam departs Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Jan. 5, 2015, the cruise will span 114 days and call at 45 ports in 25 countries on six continents. Offering a refined and elegant “home away from home,” Amsterdam guests will enjoy gracious service, superior amenities and many special Grand Voyage experiences. For guests who have less time on their hands, eight segments ranging in length from 22 to 57 days are available from departure ports along the route. Highlights of the roundtrip Fort Lauderdale journey include 11 overnight calls in some of the world’s most exciting cities, transits of the Panama and Suez canals, crossing the equator and International Date Line, visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, evening theme balls, local entertainment and a host of other activities.

Aranui 5, a cruise ship / container ship hybrid, will make its maiden voyage from Tahiti to the Marquesas Islands in the South Pacific Ocean at the end of November 2015. The Aranui 5 is replacing its predecessor, the Aranui 3 on a dual mission to bring travelers and commodities to the Marquesas Islands, the remotest archipelago in the world. The Aranui 5 will complete a circuit of 2,200 miles leaving from Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, and traveling to all six inhabited islands in the Marquesas chain. Making it into the archipelago alone takes over three day’s sea journey. With a total length of 126m, featuring air-conditioning and lifts…

Damen Shipyards said it has won an open tender for the supply of a tug to Port Autonome de Papeete on the Pacific island of Tahiti. Tahiti is part of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of the French Republic. The tug will be Damen’s popular ASD 2810 model, a rugged, versatile vessel capable of delivering 60 tonnes of bollard pull. Pape’ete is the capital of French Polynesia and the economic hub of the archipelago. Port Autonome de Papeete serves a wide range of vessels including local ferries…

Three weeks after the grounding of Kea Trader on a reef off New Caledonia, the removal of heavy fuel oil from the 2017-built containership is now underway and could be completed next week. According to Radio New Zealand, helicopters are being used to remove fuel from a ship stuck on a reef off New Caledonia. Oil is being moved from the vessel in tanks onto the nearby Chasseloup barge, London-based Lomar Shipping, the ship’s owner, informed. "The swells reportedly prevented the salvage teams to dock a barge next to the stricken ship as they plan to pump out the 750000 litres of fuel in its tanks. Due to the adverse sea conditions have made it impossible to extract the fuel direct to barges, hence helicopters are being used to shift the fuel," said the report.

When the 2,194 TEU containership Kea Trader ran aground on the Durand Reef in the Pacific Ocean on July 12, Ardent was called in under a Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) to remove the stranded vessel. The ship was sailing from Papeete in French Polynesia to Noumea in New Caledonia, with 756 containers on board at the time of the incident. Ardent representative Bernard van Haeringen, said, “The Kea Trader’s remote location in the Pacific is a hurdle that we are working against. Ardent first removed 600 tons of heavy fuel in early August…