The Marine Act 1986 has a sea safety section (Part IV) but fishing vessels and vessel less than ten metres were specifically excluded. In 1999 an amendment to the act was made eliminating the exclusion for fishing vessels. Important provisions of the Act for sea safety include:
requirement for vessels to be checked for "danger" prior to departure for sea;
authority for FIMSA to issue a safety certificate and requirement for vessels to possess a valid safety certificate;
authority for Ministry to (a) exempt fishing vessels from the safety section (Part IV) of the Act, and (b) make regulations for vessels under ten metres.
The Marine Regulations 1990 have several sections applicable to fisheries-related sea safety:
declaration by the Minister that the safety and seamen provisions of the Act (Parts IV and V) apply to fishing vessels of ten metres or more;
creates a specific offence for fishing vessels that proceed to sea with fewer qualified seamen than prescribed by a regulation;
establishes requirements (Fiji Small Craft Code) for commercial vessels under ten metres, including qualifications for seamen, survey certificate, construction and safety equipment. The regulation creating the Code give the applicability as "commercial vessels less than ten metres in length" whereas the actual code text states "vessels of ten metres in length trading commercially".