Boat builders must ensure boats are designed and built with safety in mind, including proper buoyancy and floatation material, says Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) CEO Joeli Cawaki.
He was responding to the three tragic incidents where boats capsized in Baulevu, Yasawa, and Lau, resulting in loss of lives.
“The two incidents before Christmas, the one in Baulevu, it was also overloading and we found out that the boat was not registered, not surveyed, and does not have the relevant safety equipment,” Mr Cawaki said during an interview on The Fiji Times news portal The Lens@177 on Tuesday.
“Likewise, for the one in Yasawa, where the mother and the daughter drowned and for Tuvuca — overloaded.”
Mr Cawaki said they would be working closely with boat builders on maritime safety and certification in Fiji.
He said this year, MSAF would be inspecting boat designs to ensure they were up to the requirements of MSAF.
“Unfortunately, we will have to check again on some of the designs, as we have seen in the past, some of the boats that capsized were because when the engine is on the back of the boat, rather than floating horizontally, the boat floats vertically.
“For us, according to the law, every boat that’s being built must come for approval by MSAF.
“We’ll start from the drawing and when it is built, our surveyors, our technical surveyors, and architect will need to visit.
“Unfortunately, that has not been going on in the past, but we will this year, enforce the rule to all the boat builders in Fiji.”
