FAO Fisheries Report No. 737

Report of the
FAO/SPC Regional Expert Consultation on Sea Safety in Small Fishing Vessels.

Suva, Fiji, 9-13 February 2004

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Rome, 2004

Table of Contents

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries

FAO.
Report of the FAO-SPC Regional Expert Consultation on Sea Safety in Small Fishing Vessels. Suva, Fiji, 9-13 February 2004.
FAO Fisheries Report. No. 737. Rome, FAO. 2004. 51p.

ABSTRACT

Work in the Pacific Islands by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) had indicated that to effectively address most problem areas on sea safety requires a multidisciplinary approach. The key disciplines associated with sea safety include law, fisheries, naval architecture, search/rescue, community awareness and maritime administration. Discussions between FAO and SPC led to an agreement to bring together motivated people from several relevant disciplines to discuss sea safety, and specifically focus on challenging issues, related to small fishing vessels.

As a result, an FAO/SPC Regional Expert Consultation on Sea Safety in Small Fishing Vessels was convened firstly to address and progress the most important issues in fisheries sea safety from the perspectives of several relevant disciplines and, secondly, to formulate plans for future sea safety programmes.

The Consultation was held in Suva from 9 to 13 February 2004. Discussions focused in particular on the significance of good sea accident data, mandatory requirements for vessel registration, vessel inspection and crew certification, enforcement of regulations in remote locations and training requirements for improving safety in small fishing boats. This report lists a number of recommendations together with considerations relating to their implementation.