South African Maritime Safety Authority launches fishing vessel audits to assess safety compliance

South Africa Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy has directed the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) to conduct safety inspections of all South African commercial fishing vessels operating in the country's waters.

The move came after serious fishing incidents that occurred in South Africa's waters in 2024 that resulted in the tragic loss of 18 fishers' lives.

The fishing vessel safety audits will be conducted over a four-month period and will cover all major fishing ports across South Africa with the first phase beginning at the Port of Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha).

The SAMSA audit team began inspections in Port Elizabeth engaging with vessel owners, crewmembers, and industry representatives to assess compliance, identify risks, and evaluate emergency preparedness. The audit will continue in Gqeberha before moving to other ports in the coming months.

SAMSA encourages all fishing vessel operators to cooperate fully with the audit teams and actively participate in the safety initiative.

As part of this initiative, SAMSA has issued Marine Information Notice No 6 of 2025, (dated February 7, 2025) informing the fishing industry about the upcoming safety audits and urging all vessel operators to participate.