Captain Cook Cruises Fiji (CCC) and the University of Fiji come together to mark the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2025 World Maritime Day theme: “Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity.”
The joint efforts build on the GSTC2025 Global Sustainable Tourism Conference held in Fiji and coincide with the IMO’s new Regional Presence Office in Suva, which will drive capacity development and skills-building on maritime safety and environmental standards, and advance the Pacific’s blue economy, a sector closely tied to cruise and marine tourism.
As part of the initiative, students, faculty, and the Vice-Chancellor toured CCC’s vessel Fiji One, learning from experts about the full range of maritime and marine science skills, training, certifications & experiences required to operate in the industry in line with IMO regulations, both nationally and globally. This was followed by conference-style discussions on board with CCC’s multidisciplinary team highlighting CCC’s platforms for capacity development and skills-building.
Allison Haworth West, Executive Director of Captain Cook Cruises Fiji, said “with our long history pioneering marine science and sustainability tourism in Fiji, Captain Cook Cruises provides in-field classrooms for marine sciences and maritime training, serving as a floating classroom and a platform for IMO sea-time training and underwater marine research. Operating daily Island and Reef, plus Sunset Sailings, CCC is not just a tourism operator but a hub for maritime, marine science, and eco-tourism capacity building”.
In marking World Maritime Day 2025, this academic–industry partnership demonstrates opportunities for multi-disciplinary training and hands-on capacity building at sea, including work directly with coral reefs, addressing the multiple threats identified under UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 – Life Below Water.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Fiji, Professor Shaista Shameem said the offer of partnership from Captain Cook Cruises to join them on sustainable missions to restore coral reefs, provide students with a floating marine science laboratory, as well as cadetships in marine biology and to assist the company with ecotourism projects was more than the University had ever dreamed about. The University had moved its curriculum towards practical’s and attachments from year 1 in as many programmes as possible so that students would be work ready when they joined the workforce after graduating.
Professor Shameem said the opportunity provided by Captain Cook Cruises was much appreciated by the University as it added value to the University’s science work in support of SGS 14, Life Below Water, in partnership with scientists and environmentalists working on Captain Cook vessels.
She said the students will have the chance to work with these scientists and experts to help replant coral gardens, research the extent of threats to our coral reefs and help with other regenerative oceans work on behalf of planet earth.
Professor Shameem said the University was working on the idea of developing a marine park and the partnership with Captain Cook Cruises would accelerate that initiative a lot more.
A collaboration between the University and Captain Cook Cruises is being developed to support the above initiatives.
