Discussions on improving safety in domestic shipping in Fiji
The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) together with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) are meeting up this week to engage in discussions on improving the safety aspects of domestic shipping in the Pacific.
MSAF Manager Ships Inspection Sesoni Komaisoso said the five-day workshop was also aimed to engage in discussions that would also benefit Fiji as a whole.
“At the outset, with more than 30 years of experience sailing across large masses of oceans around the world, and with the forever evolving laws and regulations, we here today, must thank SPC for always providing us with opportunities to grow our knowledge and understanding of International Maritime law and regulations which has been domesticated to suit us in the local front,” said Mr Komaisoso.
Mr Komaisoso also shared the importance for shipping companies to conduct auditory analyses of its safety management system.
This was in his reflection to two tragic accidents that happened in Kiribati and Tonga in 2009.
He said the Kiribati accident involved an inter-island ferry that was carrying about 55 passengers of which 33 were reported dead and 22 others missing on July 13, 2009. “The accident in Tonga involved the MV Princess Ashika whereby she was carrying 86 passengers and crew 53 were rescued and 31 reported missing on August 6, 2009,” he said.
“Soon after these accidents occurred, the Pacific Island Domestic Ship Safety project was born and initially focused on the safety aspects of the shipping industry in Kiribati and Tonga, however, the project expanded to other regions in the Pacific which included nine Pacific Island countries.”
The five-day workshop is held at the MSAF headquarters at Kadavu House in Suva.