SOUTH AFRICA: According to a Marine Information Notice issued by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) at the beginning of the month, the authority will begin a four-month auditing campaign in the fishing industry as of March to address safety issues in the sector.
In the notice, SAMSA note that they will provide vessels owners and operators with information as to when and which vessels need to be made available for auditing purposes.
The overall objective of the project is to assess the state of safety compliance of the South African commercial fishing fleet; identify gaps in compliance with national and international maritime regulations, and provide recommendations to enhance safety standards.
It will also evaluate the effectiveness of SAMSA’s inspection and survey regimes in terms of ensuring compliance of commercial fishing vessels.
Given the notable age of the commercial fishing fleet in South Africa, the auditing campaign also aims to identify risks related to vessel age, maintenance, crew training, and onboard safety equipment.
In addition, surveyors will be tasked with determining the technical and structural integrity of vessels against any relevant regulations as well as identifying and mitigating risks associated with stability assessments and stability documents.
Emergency preparedness and response measures will also be evaluated.
According to the Marine Information Notice, the audit will concentrate on fishing vessels that have been involved in maritime incidents or that have been identified based on previous audits and inspections. Companies that owned or operated vessels that have been lost will also come under scrutiny.
In addition, rivetted or wooden vessels as well as those registered prior to 1998 will be included in the audit programme.
SAMSA has also been instructed to develop a fishing vessel safety improvement plan aimed at minimizing future incidents and ensuring that fishing vessels meet the highest safety standards.
