TTSB Releases Revised Investigation Report on the Collision between the Fishing Vessel VIVA FAFA No. 707 and the Fishing Vessel MOAMAEU

Regarding the collision between the fishing vessel VIVA FAFA No. 707 and the fishing vessel MOAMAEU, which occurred on June 8, 2022, approximately 310 nautical miles east of Rabaul Port, Papua New Guinea, the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB) had previously completed its investigation and released the final report on July 31, 2023.

In July 2025, VIVA FAFA FISHERY Co., Ltd. (the vessel owner) submitted newly available evidence, including certificates of competency of senior crew members and interpretative letters issued by the Fisheries Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, and formally requested that the investigation report be amended. Following a resolution adopted at the 78th TTSB Board Meeting on September 23, 2025, the TTSB decided to reopen and conduct a reinvestigation into the occurrence.

Based on the additional evidence and information obtained during the reinvestigation, the TTSB revised the factual information, analysis, conclusions, and transportation safety recommendations. The Revised Investigation Report on the Collision between the Fishing Vessel VIVA FAFA No. 707 and the Fishing Vessel MOAMAEU was reviewed and approved at the 82nd TTSB Board Meeting on January 9, 2026, and is hereby released.

The revised investigation report identified 7 findings and issued 3 safety recommendations.

Ⅰ. Findings from the investigation

Findings related to probable causes :

1. Approximately 30 minutes prior to the collision, the two vessels should have been in sight of each other. CCTV footage showed that MOAMAEU was positioned about 15 to 20 degrees off the port bow of VIVA FAFA No. 707. As the two vessels gradually closed, the officer on watch on board MOAMAEU did not comply with the requirements of the 1972 International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea to avoid crossing ahead of the stand-on vessel, but instead suddenly altered course to port with the intention of passing ahead of VIVA FAFA No. 707. Although VIVA FAFA No. 707 sounded warning signals and reduced speed by operating the engine astern, the collision between the two vessels could not be avoided.
2. Two ordinary seamen on the bridge of VIVA FAFA No. 707 did not hold seafarer certificates issued by the competent authority of the flag State. At the time of the accident, the ordinary seaman on watch on the bridge had insufficient lookout knowledge and lacked ship-handling skills, and was therefore unable to appropriately respond to the emergency situation to prevent the accident.

Findings related to risks :

1. Both vessels did not take early avoiding action in accordance with the requirements of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972.

Other findings :

1. At the time of the occurrence, the weather was favorable and visibility was good.
2. The vessel MOAMAEU had sunk. During the evidence collection process, the investigation team encountered difficulties in obtaining relevant information, and was unable to obtain additional evidence through interviews to further analyze safety issues related to that vessel.
3. The foreign ordinary seafarers employed on VIVA FAFA No. 707 when the vessel departed port in July 2021 complied with the regulations in force in Taiwan at that time and were not required to hold seafarer certificates issued by that country.
4. According to the port safety inspection records dated June 19, 2022, VIVA FAFA No. 707 was recorded as lacking two deck officers. However, based on the documentation submitted by VIVA FAFA Fisheries Co., Ltd. in July 2025, the two national crew members held captain certificates issued by the Republic of Vanuatu. As clarified by the Fisheries Agency, these certificates were deemed equivalent to valid certificates of competency issued by the seafarers' flag State for foreign-employed non-national crew members, allowing them to serve as officers on board the vessel other than the master.

Ⅱ. Transportation Safety Recommendations

To the VIVA FAFA FISHERY Co., Ltd.

1. Ensure that qualified and competent personnel are assigned to navigational bridge watchkeeping duties during vessel operations to maintain navigational safety across the fleet.

To the Kirikore Fisheries Co., Ltd.

1. Strengthen fleet training programs to ensure that duty officers fully understand the requirements of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972, in order to prevent vessel collisions.
2. Promote awareness within the fleet that bridge watchkeeping personnel must maintain a proper lookout at all times and understand potential collision risk factors during navigation, in order to prevent accidents.

The revised investigation report (available only in Chinese) can be downloaded at

https://www.ttsb.gov.tw

Ya-Ting Chang, Director

Secretariat Office

Tel: +886-2-7727-6210

E-mail: [email protected]

Willis Chen, Investigator-In-Charge

Marine Occurrence Investigation Division

Tel: +886-2-7727-6246

E-mail: [email protected]