Pacific countries have enhanced their capacity to conduct marine casualty investigations following a technical IMO training course in Nadi, Fiji (17-21 February).
Under IMO instruments, a flag State is required to investigate very serious marine casualties and others, as defined by relevant conventions, occurring to any of its ships. The flag State must also report these findings to IMO through the GISIS online hub for shipping-related data.
The goal of such investigations is to help determine potential enhancements to current regulations as well as remedial actions to enhance the safety of seafarers and passengers and the protection of the marine environment.
Twenty-six participants representing 13 countries* in the Pacific received training on key aspects, including the role of a marine casualty investigator, the concept of marine casualty and the responsibilities of States. They covered investigation procedures, mandatory standards, risk assessments, addressing the human element, conducting analysis and reporting.
The course marks IMO's first-ever technical training event of its kind in the Pacific, organized in cooperation with the Government of Fiji, the Pacific Community (SPC), Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) of Singapore.
*Participating countries: Cook Islands; Fiji; Kiribati; Nauru; New Zealand; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Republic of Marshall Islands; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tonga; Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
