The Transport Accident Investigation Commission wants the Government to consider licensing recreational boaties and skippers.
It’s a new recommendation after an investigation into a capsizing that killed three people at Mānukau Heads on October 16, 2021.
They were aged 54, 61 and 70. A fourth man, aged 23, survived.
The group were returning from a fishing trip and none wore life jackets.
Today the Transport Accident Investigation Commission released its findings, stating the vessel was swamped by steep, breaking waves before the engine lost power, capsized and sank.
It has recommended the Ministry of Transport research licensing, registration and boat design standards, and then consider introducing them, instead of relying on safety education campaigns for those out on the water.
Commission Chair Jane Meares said currently: “Anyone can skipper a recreational boat – even with no safe boating skills and no understanding of their responsibilities for the lives of people on board.”
She said: “For more than 12 years, the commission has repeatedly called for a compulsion system to complement the existing education campaigns because too often the admirable educational messages fall on deaf ears.
“The ongoing reluctance by lawmakers, policymakers and regulators to implement such a system is a tacit acceptance that every year around 15 to 20 recreational boaters die as a result of their own actions.”
In 2020 Maritime NZ reported 1.8 million people owned, skippered or used recreation vessels regularly in Aotearoa.
In response to the Commission’s findings, Ministry of Transport economic regulation manager Tom Forster said he acknowledged the tragic losses at Mānukau.
“We consider that education campaigns, rather than skipper licensing, are the most effective and appropriate way to share maritime knowledge with recreational boat users.”
He said the ministry would “continue to monitor the evidence on this issue”.
“We are open to reconsidering this if the evidence says its effective.”
Coastguard New Zealand has also today called for the urgent passing of legislation to make it compulsory to wear lifejackets on vessels under 6m.
Coastguard New Zealand chief executive Callum Gillespie acknowledged it was a challenging day for those affected by the capsize.
“In this instance and in too many other tragedies, we are certain that if they had been wearing lifejackets, the outcome would have been very different. The report concurs.”
“There is a proposed change to legislation with government which would make the wearing of lifejackets to be mandatory in boats under 6m. We strongly support swift action on this as there are inconsistencies across Aotearoa and there are too many people dying on the water on days that should be about creating happy memories, safely.”