The New Zealand navy ship HMNZS Hawea left Auckland on Monday for a six month deployment to Fiji, where it will help patrol the country's waters.
New Zealand Joint Forces commander, Major General Tim Gall, said New Zealand would help to develop the Fiji navy's capability as part of New Zealand's renewed engagement with Fiji.
The HMNZS Hawea will help patrol Fiji's 1.1 million square kilometres of Exclusive Economic Zone and territorial waters.
Staff from New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries, Fiji's Department of Fisheries and the Fiji Navy would join the patrols.
It's the first time one of the New Zealand navy's inshore patrol vessels has been deployed to the South Pacific.
