Independent opposition MP Viliame Naupoto said there was a slight lack in the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji’s (MSAF) monitoring and ensuring of compliance of small boats that cross from island to island
While responding to a ministerial statement by Minister for Public Works, Transport and Meteorological Services Ro Filipe Tuisawau in parliament on Wednesday, Mr Naupoto said crossing points had been set from Vatulewa to Taveuni and other points on Vanua Levu crossing to Taveuni.
“We are obliged under international conventions to do a lot of things that comes under MSAF, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), International Convention for the Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) and International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL),” Mr Naupoto said.
“They fall under this very important organisation, in addition to regulating local shipping, making sure that they are safe.”
He said MSAF also played a vital tole in ensuring the safety of yachts coming into Fiji waters.
“There was an incident lately of the small boat that ran aground, and kids were swimming. I think they wanted to lighten the load, and that was exactly the wrong thing to do, to get these kids into the water.
” I hope the investigation on that incident has been done and remedial action have been taken on small boats complying with safety regulations.
“I think if you look at the statistics for search and rescue, most of the search and rescue is done because of the non-compliance of small boats that traverse our waters. For islands, that is the only way they travel between those islands.”
He said navigational aids were also equally important.
“As we make sure the ships are safe, we ensure also that the route that they take is well marked and safe so that they do not run aground.
“We have a lot of beacons that the posts stand on, the posts only marks where the danger is, it is the part at the top that is missing, that tells the captain which side you should be travelling on and with that part missing at the top, there is a chance that they might go on the wrong side and run aground.
“For beacons and lights, because we are so prone to cyclones, every time a cyclone passes through, most of the time the heads of these beacons will disappear, they need to be put back in place.”
He said there was also a need to increase the number of MSAF enforcement officers.
“When we went from Vatulewa to Taveuni with the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, we went on two fibreglass boats to cross over.
“There was no MSAF officer on the Vatulewa side to check whether the boats that are crossing have life jackets and all the safety features.
“We had life jackets and there were two police boats that we crossed on. I think there is a need to increase enforcement officers so that they can be spread around these points where our small boats cross.”