By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

THE Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) is finalising plans for a new 62-meter offshore patrol vessel that will serve as its flagship, part of a broader modernisation strategy aimed at strengthening border protection and curbing illegal activities at sea.

Speaking at a multi-agency finance workshop, newly appointed Commodore Floyd Moxey said the proposed vessel is intended to boost national security efforts, including the fight against human trafficking, illegal fishing, and drug smuggling. He emphasised the ship’s strategic role in enforcing territorial sovereignty.

In the last four months, the RBDF has also expanded its capabilities with the addition of four new safe boats, each to be stationed in Abaco, Grand Bahama, Inagua, and Ragged Island, key locations for maritime surveillance.

Commodore Moxey noted that smugglers and poachers are adapting to enforcement tactics by operating just outside Bahamian waters and deploying smaller vessels to slip past patrols.

He said in response to recent reports of foreign vessels near Bahamian fishing zones, especially amid the closed crawfish season, the RBDF has stepped up patrols on the Great Bahama Bank. These increased operations aim to deter illegal fishing ahead of the season’s August 1 reopening and protect local marine resources.

He said, although no arrests have been made, he believes the heightened patrol presence is already serving as a deterrent.