SPC Initiatives in Small-Boat Sea Safety

1. SPC INITIATIVES
IN SMALL-BOAT SEA SAFETY
Past, current and future
Michel Blanc, Fisheries Development Adviser

2. The context
• 22 countries and territories in the WCPO
• 200 high islands, 2500 low islands and atolls
• limited land area (550,000 km2) and small populations (approx. 10 million)
• large EEZs (50 times greater than land area – 30 million km2)
• number of small craft (motorized and canoes) unknown – 1991 estimate (17,000 motorized +
25,000 canoes)
 A context with major implications for small-boat safety

3. The foundation of SPC’s involvement – the 1991 FAO survey
• 16 countries surveyed
• offshore tuna trolling in small outboard powered skiffs is the most risky activity
• many accidents occur on small boats used for both fishing and inter-island
transport
• main causes = mechanical breakdowns, limited availability of spare parts,
 main conclusion: ongoing education and training needed for improving sea safety

4. The 1990s and early 2000s – SPC’s safety at sea campaign

5. The 2004 FAO/SPC expert consultation
Resulted in guidelines for the development/implementation of coordinated
national strategies for small-boat safety
Main features of the guidelines :
• National sea safety coordinating group made of motivated people (the ‘drivers’)
• The generation of political will to address small boat safety
• The development of national sea accident databases
• Appropriate legislation for small fishing vessels
• Construction standards for fibreglass skiffs
• Formal and informal training directed at fishing communities and government staff
Our regional guidelines ended-up inspiring the ‘sea safety’ chapter of
FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines for Small-Scale Fisheries!

6. From the late 2000s to present: the safety ‘grab bag’
concept including most efficient signalling device of last resort (Personal Locator Beacon - PLB)
• Opportunistically distributed by NFDS (project funding permitting) --- over 300 bags since 2009
• Tuvalu’s grab bag programme i.e. distribution (168 bags between 2015 and 2017) + training =
• Culmination of SPC’s work in the area of small-boat safety – first-time proof that our efforts have paid off!
versus cost of SAR operations in the Pacific (e.g. NZD 8 million spent annually by New Zealand alone)

7. Current and future initiatives
More training…for MCS officers this time
• SPC’s Certificate IV course in Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture
Compliance and Enforcement - now available online
• Launched in 2018 with first cohort assessed in November
• Will be accredited by USP in 2019
• Course prepares students to the duties of an MCS (coastal)
fisheries officer
Several units of learning are related to sea safety:
o Pre-departure inspection of small-boat safety equipment (based on SPC-
promoted grab bag)
o Outboard motor maintenance and trouble-shooting
o Maintenance of electronic equipment used in small craft

8. Current and future initiatives
Sea safety regulations for small boats
• Small boats typically used for both fishing and transport
• Small boats often fall in a grey area between shipping and fisheries legislation
• International maritime law focusses on merchant ships and industrials FVs
• Small boat regs are a domestic matter and many operational contexts exist in
PICTs with varying definitions of small craft, navigation limits, safety gear, etc.
FAME has legal capacity and can help develop small boat regulations which are:
: maritime, fisheries, fishers’ associations
: safety gear, crew certification, vessel construction
: to small boat operations and local context of SSF
: not overly complex, with alternatives possible for boat operators

9. What FAME and the region require
Through increased and well resourced capacity in small-boat safety at NFDS
• A long-term project (3 to 5 years)
• One position (Small boat safety training officer)
• Budget for procurements: safety grab bags
• Budget for travels: short country visits to train FOs, community reps on equipment use and
maintenance
• Budget for translation, (re)printing and distribution of existing awareness-raising materials
• Develop sea accident data collection systems to monitor improvements
• Good value for money considering the cost of SAR to donor countries (Aus, NZ, US, Fr)