Maritime representatives from seven Pacific island countries are in New Zealand to learn more about new regulations to improve safety at sea.
Participants from the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga and Tuvalu are in Wellington for a week to prepare their countries for auditing by the International Maritime Organisation in 2020.
Maritime NZ's chief executive Keith Manch said getting ready for the audit required significant time and investment and could be difficult for some Pacific nations with limited personnel or local expertise.
The training is an opportunity to improve maritime safety standards across the Pacific and is funded through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Manch said.
