A difficult task for govts




Governed by over 30 international maritime conventions, international shipping in the Pacific is well regulated, with sound monitoring mechanisms in place.
  Where safety is concerned, the establishment of adequate port state control systems give power to the port state to detain a vessel if it is found to have defects upon inspection.
  This way, the port state and flag state combine efforts to maintain good control over the safety of international ships.
  The governance mechanisms that underpin domestic shipping are a different story altogether.
  Regulating domestic ferries or non-convention vessels is a much harder task for governments because rules and regulations have to be developed, implemented and monitored at national level.
  One of the critical areas requiring the attention of maritime regulators is the safety of domestic ferries.
  The dependence of Pacific Islanders on inter-island shipping is high and governments must prioritise efforts in this area to ensure only safe ships sail.
  The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has been working in partnership with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) on safety of domestic ferries in the Pacific since 2000.
  “Their joint efforts in this area have seen the development of the model Safety Regulations for Non-Convention Vessels—designed to be easily adapted by Pacific Islands nations and adopted into their national laws.”
  In addition, numerous seminars and workshops have been conducted to raise awareness in this area.
  The latest joint effort of the two organisations saw SPC’s Regional Maritime Programme (RMP) organise a seminar on operational safety of domestic ferries and non-convention vessels, which was held in Suva, Fiji, from 7 to 11 December 2009.
  The event was attended by 34 participants representing the maritime administrations in Cook Islands, Fiji Islands, Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu as well as resource people from Bligh Water Shipping Ltd, Billett Wright & Associates Ltd, Marine Safety Services Ltd, Samoa Shipping Corporation (SSC) and RMP.
  In his opening remarks, Captain John Hogan, RMP Manager, said, “Tens of thousands of passengers and thousands of tonnes of cargo are carried safely throughout the Pacific each year.
  “The Pacific relies on shipping not only for the day-to-day needs of people living on small islands but also for trade and economic development.”
  Countries represented at the seminar agreed to prioritise the implementation of the model Safety Regulations for Non-Convention Vessels and expedite the use of ‘Instructions to Surveyors’—a set of guidelines for surveys of vessels.
  Strong support was also expressed for an expansion of the maritime safety audit system that would see RMP lead a series of safety audits and inspections on all domestic ships in the region.
  According to Captain Hogan, with a robust audit regime already in place, RMP anticipated no problems in incorporating an additional audit category into the system, except that more staff and resources would be required to undertake the extra work.
  The findings of safety audits will allow Pacific Islands governments to develop policies for replacement of vessels that are unseaworthy or unsuitable to trade. They will also provide an indication of which vessels needed to be upgraded or more adequately resourced.
  RMP has also been working to introduce a Safe Ship Management (SSM) system, similar to the New Zealand SSM system, to improve safety of domestic vessels operating in the Pacific.
  Introduction of SSM in shipping companies is expected to refine the systems and processes for dealing with safety and enable monitoring of implementation measures through safety audits. Representatives at the seminar expressed strong commitment for this RMP initiative as well.
  As the leading regional advisory body in maritime affairs, RMP recognises the challenges as well as the needs of Pacific Islands countries and territories and therefore works in close collaboration with stakeholders to address priority issues in the sector.
  Given the limitations in capacity and technical expertise in the Pacific, a regional approach is the most effective one for optimising the availability of expertise and opportunities to maximise benefits at the national level.
 
*For more information: contact Avnita Goundar, Maritime Information Officer, SPC Regional Maritime Programme by email (AvnitaG@spc.int).