A charter vessel industry group says the findings into the capsize of the boat Francie in the Kaipara harbour two years ago are a bit light.
The Francie fishing vessel. Photo: Facebook
Eight people drowned when the boat capsized while trying to cross the Kaipara Harbour bar in rough weather in November 2016.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) released its findings into the disaster today and made four recommendations, mostly around use of life jackets.
Margaret Wind, from the Marine Transport Association, said there should have been a recommendation aimed at educating skippers as well.
"For any new operators - because of the way the rules are written now for any new entrants into the industry - there should probably be a training regime for bar crossings."
She said an endorsement given to those who successfully passed a bar-crossing assessment would have been a good recommendation.
"It only needs to be a one or two day training."
TAIC's recommendations to Maritime New Zealand were to set up a confidential system for people to report unsafe maritime activity and requiring commercial vessels to carry lifejackets suited to the conditions.
The commission also wants lifejackets fitted with crotch straps carried on vessels operating in bar harbours or along exposed coasts, and said recreational boat users should be encouraged to carry them as well.
Ms Wind said the recommendations were good but did not quite go far enough.
She said a law change a decade ago allowed skippers to cross bars where they previously had not been allowed too and this face was not mentioned in the findings.
"Prior to that law change the area where the Francie was working was deemed 'extended river limits' and with the rule change it changed to 'in shore' which meant that vessels that previously couldn't operate in that area were then permitted to do so."
"They were also not required to carry the equipment that you would expect a vessel to carry outside a bar.
"So not only were the operating limits reduced but also the safety equipment and the qualification of the skipper were lightened so that meant more vessels were permitted to go outside of these areas probably without the required amount of experience or equipment."
Ms Wind said Maritime New Zealand needed to get more involved in addressing these gaps in maritime law.
"TAIC has done a good job addressing the problems with this incident, it's now going to be a test of Maritime NZ to apply these recommendations and go a little bit further to prevent this happening again."
Ms Wind said TAIC's other recommendation about a confidential tip line would be unlikely to incentivise people to dob in bad boatie behaviour.
"In the 25 years I've been involved in this industry anyone who pops their head up and makes a complaint ends up with the spotlight on themselves.
"And the industry's very small so it doesn't take much for an operator to realise who [complained]."
She said another good move would be funding experienced bar crossers to teach others how to do it safely.
