It was good to know that quick and coordinated efforts between police and navy officers resulted in the successful rescue operation of eight people from Kadavu who were drifting in Beqa waters on Friday afternoon.
Police spokeswoman Ana Naisoro confirmed a distress call was received at the Rescue Coordination Centre from a villager on the boat.
He said he was with seven others and explained their engine had failed between Vatulele and Kadavu.
Ms Naisoro said water police and navy officers on board the WP Veiqaravi were deployed to rescue the eight near Naceva Village on Beqa.
The turn of events will once again raise the issue of inter-island travel and water safety.
In saying that we note that far too many people are still risking their lives travelling on fast fibreglass boats to some of our outer-islands.
Separated by waters of the Pacific Ocean, inter-island shipping services are a key part of the lives of people who travel from our many islands scattered in the Lau Group, Lomaiviti and the Yasawas.
Then there are the services between Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.
Any opportunity to improve services will be welcomed, especially when one takes into account the fact that people have taken to crossing our waters on open fibreglass boats quite regularly.
Many Fijians are still flirting with danger and continue to brave the elements in the face of irregular shipping services.
This has, however, had its associated dangers, with a number of boats capsizing in rough seas and people going missing over the years.
As much as they will want to adhere to safety requirements, the bottom line is, time becomes a very important factor for many people.
The onus is on our shipping industry to address shortfalls and to put in place a timetable that is regular and workable for all stakeholders.
There is heightened expectation that services can be improved.
As much as we will want to encourage industry stakeholders to improve their fleets, there will obviously be a call for legislation to tighten up safety issues generally, and for the State to put together more incentives and perhaps revisit the franchise scheme.
Shipping companies that take the initiative to improve their fleet deserve acknowledgement.
There are some companies that are trying to meet high standards.
They have scheduled trips that are consistent, and adhere to safety standards and cleanliness on board their vessels.
One wonders though whether this business is lucrative enough for them to stay and continue to upgrade their fleets.
It isn’t difficult to see that because of the geographical make-up of our islands and distances that have to be travelled, there is a need for a service that meets the needs of travellers.
Water safety though, is quite important.
