Spotlight on commercial fishing fleet
April 18th, 2008, 7:51 pm Hobbies News
Maritime New Zealand said it is implementing changes to its safe ship management system following the release yesterday of a Transport Accident Investigation Commission report into the tragedy that claimed six lives on May 13, 2006.
The report says the Kotuku was subject to safety inspections for its role as a commercial fishing boat for all but the first three years of its 43-year life but problems were not picked up.
Commercial pressures %26quot;and a culture that excuses shortcomings%26quot; appeared to have permeated both the inspection system and the under-24m fishing fleet %26quot;at the expense of good seamanship, safety and lives%26quot;, the report says.
Some 800 boats are potentially affected.
Southern fishers chose to hold their tongues about the report yesterday.
However, Bluff Fishermans Shore Station operator Meri Leask said the findings had caused ripples across the industry. %26quot;For 800 boats? Thats totally off the wall.%26quot; About 85 fishing boats operated out of Bluff, she said, with many more based at Stewart Island, Riverton, Waikawa and Milford Sound.
While Maritime New Zealand did a good job in other respects, the revelations in the commissions report had shattered trust in the inspection system, she said.
%26quot;When did they realise that there were 800 vessels that could have a problem? It only needs one (more for a tragedy).%26quot; Maritime New Zealand director Catherine Taylor said the organisation had a raft of initiatives under way before the Kotuku tragedy to improve safety across the commercial maritime sector.
It also introduced a range of safety actions in response to lessons learned from the incident, many of which were well advanced.
Ms Taylor said while there was still room to improve the safety management system, safety statistics reflected that the vast majority of the 3200 vessels in the system were operating safely.
Maritime New Zealand had adopted the findings of the report and had made several changes immediately after the tragedy, she said.
Maritime New Zealand was continuing to work closely with the Bluff fishing community and iwi to raise awareness of safety issues before the muttonbird season.
It immediately issued safety bulletins on the importance of skippers keeping vessel freeing ports clear and having correctly installed liferafts following the incident and a review of its safe ship management system was its No 1 strategic priority, Ms Taylor said.
While no action was being taken against the surveyor who certified the Kotuku, compulsory training seminars were being held throughout New Zealand where surveyors are examined to ensure competence as well as auditing of management companies and spot checks of vessels to ensure high standards are maintained.
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