Minister for Employment Parveen Bala says that negligence by boat captains and ignorance of proper procedures of operating sea transport has been the main cause of most sea accidents.
He made this comment while handing out Boat Master and Class 6 licensing certification to 70 villagers of Beqa Island.
The Minister told the recipients that sea safety is everyone’s responsibility and a lot of emphasis is placed upon the captain for overall safety of the passengers.
Bala also encouraged all boat captains to adhere to the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji laws and to practice what they have learnt from the training.
He says that as captains they are accountable for the lives of their passengers and it is their principle duty to ensure safety at all times for passengers and themselves.
