[Photo: FILE]

The Health Ministry wants more powers to inspect ships, test onboard water and take action against vessels that fail to meet hygiene standards.

Health Ministry National WASH Coordinator Toga Vosataki told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Affairs that ship inspections are currently done every six months as part of the ship sanitation certification process.

Vosataki said ships must receive a sanitation certificate from the Ministry with fumigation carried out to control pests.

He said the proposed changes under the Public Health Amendment Bill (Bill No. 4, 2026) would allow health officers to carry out spot checks and confirm whether fumigation has been effective.

Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji Legal Team Member Tui Kilakila said the requirement could create challenges for vessels operating on tight schedules.

Kilakila said roll-on-roll-off vessels may be affected because after fumigation, another inspection could be required before the vessel continues operating.

He said during the waiting period, vessels could still be in service and new pests could enter, affecting the inspection results.

Kilakila said MSAF and the Health Ministry would need to work together to ensure vessels can be held when necessary for inspection.

Vosataki said the proposed law would also allow health officers to carry out random inspections, especially when complaints are received about vessel conditions.

The committee questioned whether inspections should be done more often than the current six-month checks, given the number of passengers travelling between islands.

Vosataki said the Bill would strengthen the Ministry’s ability to monitor ship hygiene and protect passengers from health risks.

The committee also heard recommendations for inspections to cover passenger areas, crew quarters, medical facilities and onboard water supplies.

Vosataki said water testing on ships was limited but the proposed amendments would allow officers to collect samples from vessels to check for contamination risks.