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The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji has emphasized the need for every shipping corporation to conduct auditory analyses of its safety management system.

MSAF Manager Ships Inspection Sesoni Komaisoso stressed this today while opening the Maritime Safety and Energy Efficiency workshop focusing on Pacific Island Domestic Ship Safety project or PIDSS.

He says this project seeks to improve the safety characteristics of local ships in Fiji and other Pacific Island countries.

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Komaisoso states that the inception of the PIDSS project was in 2010 following two tragic accidents that took place in Kiribati and Tonga. The Kiribati accident involved an inter-island ferry carrying about 55 passengers, of which 33 were reported dead and 22 others missing on July 13, 2009.

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The accident in Tonga involved the MV Princess Ashika whereby she was carrying 86 passengers, 53 crew members were rescued and 31 were reported missing on August 6, 2009.

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After these tragic accidents, Komaisoso stated that the project was born and was 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 island countries.