Businessman and boater Eli Fuller is calling on the government to subsidise life rafts for local vessels, arguing that the high cost of critical safety equipment is putting fishermen at risk following the disappearance of three Antiguan men at sea.
Speaking in a live video, Fuller said most local fishermen cannot afford to purchase and maintain life rafts, which require costly annual servicing, leaving many vessels without a key survival tool. He said making life rafts more accessible could significantly improve survival chances in emergencies. “That should be subsidised… any local registered vessel… government should subsidise the inspection and the purchase of the life raft,” Fuller said.
Fuller also urged wider adoption of satellite tracking and emergency communication devices, including EPIRBs and GPS-based messengers, which allow distress signals to be sent even when vessels are out of cell range. He noted that such devices are relatively affordable compared with other boating costs and can help authorities quickly locate missing vessels.
In addition, Fuller highlighted the absence of basic safety practices such as filing float plans — informing someone on land where a vessel is heading and when it is expected back — which he said is critical for narrowing search areas. He also pointed to poor coordination between authorities and the boating community, saying more should be done to quickly alert fishermen and other vessels when boats go missing.
Fuller said the latest incident appears to be part of a wider pattern of preventable tragedies, stressing that stronger regulation, improved communication and better-equipped vessels are needed. He warned that without changes, similar incidents will continue to occur, describing such events as “a long list of mistakes all coming together.”
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So is E-lie saying he knows factually what happened to be making such a call?
Nonsense …if you have a business that make money you should be able to maintain it or you should get out of that business and find one you can afford to maintain … what I would say i do believe the government could help with the initial startup phase of the new business but not be responsible for maintenance… We backwards Antiguans need to stop looking for handouts and be more responsible, if we own a business we most invest back into it ..
It’s an unfortunate situation and possibly tragic. But don’t these businesses already receive subsidies on their equipments?
You would want to believe that knowledgeable individuals in this business in this day and age would not only have a life raft with beacons and life vests with beacons as well which can be triangulated through satellites and GPS.
Unfortunately, if an engine cover was found then the boat has probably sunk and is not drifting somewhere. A cover should not easily fall off of the boat during normal operations.
Eli is right, life rafts are expensive no matter where you live but if the government were to subsidize their purchase, I suspect fisherman would ignore their maintenance/recertification process since those are not cheap either.
I think we all know that many Antiguan and other Caribbean national fisherman take significant risks with their vessels especially when venturing far offshore. Ultimately, the Captain is responsible for the condition and maintenance of his/her vessel and the safety equipment onboard. Having enough personal flotation devices for the number of passengers is essential but as Eli mentioned, there are devices e.g. Personal Location Beacons (PLBs) which can be purchased at reasonable prices that can alert rescue services to quickly locate you in an emergency.
For anyone who spends their time many miles offshore and truly values their lives, purchasing PLBs should be an easy decision. I use them and also have Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) on my boats which I view as invaluable too.
The ocean is unforgiving. Always be prepared.
To be fair, other countries do provide some level os subsidies for safety equipment. Whilst I don’t think the full responsibility for these safety measures should rest solely on government, there could be some financial help to make the initial purchase of the equiment more manageable. The reality is our fishing sector and also luxury boating sector is not closely enough monitored because our these communities are able to make significant sums of money without having to pay regular contributions etc. We need a complete overhaul with tougher regulation. We need a union so that they can collectively approach the government for subsidies and insurance companies for coverage. We also need to understand that our climate has and is changing so all safety measures are required to protect life. Weather forecasts are often ignored and perhaps but how do you tell grwon people that they must not go out to fish so they can feed their families when our boarders are such that policing them is not easy. My heart truly goes out to these men who potentially have lost their lives. I still pray for their safe return but as the days pass, this becomes less and less likely. We must take steps to minimise the risks that these hardworking people put themselves through every day. Suggestions from the fishing/boating community should be considered as a means of moving forward with safety as the focus in the industry.
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