He made the statement in response to an incident involving Pinisi sailing vessel Sea Safari VII, which caught fire while carrying 33 passengers in the waters of Penga Island in the Komodo National Park area, Labuan Bajo, on May 2, 2024.
"We will also work with the Ministry of Transportation and the maritime authority (to prevent such incidents from recurring)," Uno said at a press conference here on Monday.
Even though Sea Safari VII sailed with the necessary approval from the authority and complied with regulations, he emphasized the need for tourist ships to increase their compliance with cleanliness, health, safety, and environmental sustainability or CHSE protocols.
"We will continue to push the campaign of tourist ship safety with safety criteria that must be met, involving various ministries and institutions such as the KNKT (National Transportation Safety Committee) and the Indonesian Navy," he informed.
The minister also appealed to tourists to be more careful when picking tourist ships.
At the same press conference, the acting president director of Labuan Bjo Flores Authority Implementing Agency, Fransiskus Xavierus Teguh, assured that there were no fatalities in the Sea Safari VII incident.
He appealed to ship owners to ensure their ship's seaworthiness before sailing and prepare thorough preventive and emergency handling measures.
"We are also encouraging cooperation with the KSOP (Harbormaster and Port Authority Office) to be optimized for the monitoring of ships before they are considered seaworthy," he added.
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Translator: Shofi Ayudiana, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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