5 Aug 2020

Fatal sea mishap in Fiji could've been avoided: ferry skipper

4:02 pm on 5 August 2020

A ferry captain involved in a fatal collision with a fishing boat in Fiji says the incident could have been avoided if the fishermen had anchored out of a channel used by inter-island vessels.

A bus ferry in dock at Nabouwalu Jetty

A bus ferry in dock at Nabouwalu Jetty Photo: wikicommons

One person was killed and two people were injured in the accident near the Nabouwalu Jetty in Bua province. All were on board the fishing boat.

The Maritime Safety Authority was investigating.

The ferry captain, Tevita Miller, said the fishermen, who all held a valid licence, should have known that the channel was used by larger vessels.

"They should keep clear of that channel," Miller said.

He said smaller fishing boats should also be required to fit bigger and brighter lights that could be seen from a distance.

Police said the three fishermen had travelled from Korovou in Tailevu to fish in Bua.

The inter-island ferry was headed towards Ellington Wharf in Rakiraki when the incident happened.

The vessel's skipper, Tevita Miller, told the Fiji Times he didn't see the fishing boat "right up to the very moment the ship was turning".