Minister Creecy orders safety inspection on commercial fishing vessels

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has instructed the South African Maritime Authority (SAMSA) to conduct an urgent safety inspection of all commercial fishing vessels operating in South African waters. The instruction comes amid growing concerns regarding incidents involving vessels at sea. This as fishing vessel, FV Armana, caught fire while at sea on Sunday morning. 'I must express my concern about the increasing number of incidents involving fishing vessels in our waters. This year alone, we have witnessed no fewer than five significant incidents, tragically resulting in the loss of 18 lives. 'Such incidents are deeply concerning, and it is clear that we must take immediate action to improve the safety of our fishing fleet,' Creecy said in a statement on Sunday. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) received a distress message that the FV Armana, owned by Viking Fishing Company, was on fire approximately 60 nautical miles off Gansbaai in the Western Cape. No fatalities were reported amongst the 20 crew members that were on board the FV Armana. The crew had to abandon the vessel and were safely rescued by another fishing vessel, the FV Ludwani, which was operating in the same area. SAMSA is conducting an urgent investigation into the incident to establish the root cause and determine whether any regulatory breaches occurred. 'As a result, I have instructed SAMSA to conduct safety audit inspections on all fishing vessels operating in South African waters that are in our register and present a report as soon as possible. 'Furthermore, SAMSA has also been instructed to develop a fishing vessel safety improvement plan aimed at preventing future incidents and ensuring that vessels operating in our waters meet the highest safety standards. The safety of maritime workers is a matter of national priority,' the Creecy said. Source: South African Government News Agency