Many Post-Tsunami Boats 'Sub-Standard,' Will Need Replacing
WASHINGTON and ROME, March 28 /PRNewswire/ -- FAO today again urged
authorities in tsunami-affected countries to redouble their efforts to ensure
that fishing boats built to replace those destroyed during the 2004 disaster
meet minimum safety standards.
The UN agency also called on all organizations financing boat construction
to pay closer attention to the safety and quality of craft being built and to
take steps to upgrade or replace sub-standard boats already in place.
Though firm figures are not available, reports from FAO staff in the field
indicate that many replacement fishing vessels constructed since the disaster
are seriously sub-standard.
In Indonesia an estimated 7,600 fishing boats were lost completely -- of
those, some 6,500 have been replaced, of which an unknown number are unsafe.
In Sri Lanka, where almost 19,000 boats were destroyed, more than 13,000
boats had been replaced by the end of November 2005. FAO estimates that nearly
19 percent -- approximately 2,500 vessels -- are not seaworthy.
The problem encompasses both wooden boats as well as those with fibre-
glass hulls, FAO said. Some are simply not safe to use, while others are
likely to deteriorate more quickly than properly built craft.
"Fishing is already the world's most hazardous occupation, and working at
sea in a sub-standard boat is doubly dangerous," said Jeremy Turner of FAO's
Fisheries department.
"Another major problem is that these boats will need to be replaced -- in
many cases within the next two years -- and as humanitarian aid shifts
elsewhere, fishers will be left to foot the bill," he added.
Missing standards, lack of expertise
Many tsunami-hit countries do not have regulations governing the
construction of small fishing vessels. This fact, coupled with the deaths of a
number of experienced boatbuilders during the disaster, contributed to the
current situation.
As NGOs and other organizations mobilized to help fishermen get back on
their feet, they commissioned large numbers of new boats, sometimes from
inexperienced builders.
"Following the disaster, new boatyards popped up like mushrooms, but not
all of these builders were qualified -- suddenly you had furniture makers
building boats," said Turner.
"Everyone has been acting in good faith, trying to do their best to build
boats as fast as possible in order to help fishermen as soon as possible," he
added. "It's just that many organizations simply don't have the expertise
needed to make sure that boats are up to standard."
FAO workshops and training in boatbuilding
FAO has been working with national and local authorities, fishing
communities and the private sector in tsunami-affected countries to improve
the state of boatbuilding.
The agency published a "how to" primer in Indonesian on proper
shipbuilding which is being used by craftsmen in Aceh and other affected
areas. It also organized a series of workshops in Indonesia's Aceh Province,
during which 42 boatbuilders worked with an FAO master boatbuilder to
construct different kinds of craft, learning new skills and modern ship design
and construction principles.
And FAO is working with local boatyards in Indonesia to promote the use of
better quality timber, adequate metal fasteners and improved wood storage and
construction techniques.
In the Maldives, 40 shipbuilders and ship inspectors have participated in
FAO fiberglass boat construction workshops.
Safety regulations in the works
FAO's Fisheries Department is also working with national authorities to
help them draft safety standards governing construction of small boats.
In Sri Lanka, new regulations for fiberglass boats, drafted with FAO
technical guidance, are being considered for final approval by government
authorities; the agency is working with Indonesia to develop similar
regulations for wooden craft.
"The longer-term goal is to see governments bring boat construction
regulations on-line, and to see the enforcement of those regulations so that
only good quality boats can be registered and licensed to fish," Turner said.
"In the meantime, we hope that authorities will find ways to inspect new
boats and insist that craft that don't meet basic safety standards be fixed or
destroyed -- and that all those involved help shoulder the burden of doing
so."
Online news from FAO: http://www.fao.org/newsroom/
SOURCE Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
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Related links:
http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom
CONTACT:
Michael Hage, Regional Information Officer of
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
+1-202-653-0011, Michael.hage@fao.org
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