Majority of accidents recorded at sea are caused by small boats including fibre glass boats and small punts says Maritime Safety Authority’s acting chief executive Captain Philip Hill.
He adds there have been two collisions so far this year.
Hill says these incidents have reduced dramatically with boat operators around the country introduced to boat master license (BML) and Restricted Master Engineer Class 6 (RM6) training undertaken by MSAF.
“Part of the training is to teach them what evasive action they will take in case they are crossing or facing each other head on to prevent them from turning in the same direction that will result in them colliding and we also train them with the rule of the road which tells you what to do in a crossing situation when there’s a head on.”
BML certificates allow boat owners to operate fibreglass boats within sheltered waters while those trained for RM 6 licenses can operate boats up to 12 nautical miles from shore.
Captain Hill says this will ensure all Fijians adhere to and comply with the highest standards of safety at sea.
