Call to practice safety at sea

THE National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) is cautioning small boat owners, operators and passengers in the maritime provinces to be more responsible and practice sea safety, especially during the current windy period.
These precautions include not overloading, carrying extra fuel, not travelling in bad weather and ensuring that operators and passengers are not drinking alcohol.
NMSA general manager/chief executive officer Paul Unas reminded the 15 maritime provincial governments of their responsibility to ensure a high level of maritime safety was enforced on people who rely on the sea for their livelihood and sustenance.
These provinces must take full responsibility and ownership to ensure the Small Craft Act (SCA) 2011 is effectively implemented and administered to improve and promote sea safety for small boat owners, operators and passengers, especially those who use the sea as their main means of transportation. Unas said: “The maritime provinces have that responsibility under the law and for practical purposes.
“NMSA has a field presence in only six locations outside Port Moresby and therefore is not in a position to implement and enforce the small craft nationally.”
He said each maritime province had different circumstances and needed those local solutions.
Therefore, it was appropriate and right that it was the maritime provinces that tailor maritime safety and regulation solutions that were best suited for their communities and waters.
Unas said: “No matter what laws and standards are put in place, people will continue to be lost at sea if dinghies continue to be overloaded, run out of fuel, travel in bad weather, consumption of alcohol by boat operators or passengers, etc.
Unas said failure to comply with sea safety measures could result in severe penalties.