Members who attended the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Pacific Islands Maritime Association (PacMA) re-elected their office bearers who held positions in the Executive Committee (EC) as well as in the Subcommittees on Maritime Education & Training (MET), Audit, and Safety (formerly Survey) for another three-year term of office. The unanimous decision was applauded by the Secretariat as the hard-working members had achieved a lot during their term of office and a further term ensured continuity and completion of various tasks mandated to the committees by plenary. These mandates include but are not limited to continuously improving the manner in which plenary sessions are conducted including a mandatory full members only closed session; providing feedback to plenary in the form of reports from various committees; implementing systems, mechanisms and processes to assist member countries and territories maintain compliance with international instruments; gathering, analysing, assimilating and moderating maritime examination questions; in addition to researching, compiling and disseminating standards and guidelines on surveys, accident investigation and reporting as well as in search and rescue.

The EC is led by Chair Taulapapa Captain Maselino Sitagata Tominiko, the Assistant Chief Executive Officer Maritime in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure of Samoa. Taulapapa has been the Chair of PacMA and its EC since the Association took on a more active role in managing and administering its own affairs four years ago. Under his dedicated guidance, PacMA has grown into an advisory body for the region on all matters of maritime.

Taulapapa not only works with the EC members but also sits on two Subcommittees – Audit and MET. He is a trained and qualified lead auditor according to the SPC/PacMA audit standards which are based on the international audit standards ISO 19011:2003. Taulapapa is assisted on the EC by Captain John Rounds, Fiji’s Deputy Secretary of Transport who also has extensive maritime expertise which he readily shares with regional counterparts. Another EC member, Richard Coleman, the Principal of the Papua New Guinea Maritime College also chairs the MET Subcommittee in addition to being a member of the Safety Subcommittee. William Hayes Moses, the Chief of the Transportation and Communication Division of the Palau Ministry of Trade and Commerce is an EC member who also chairs the Audit Subcommittee. Similarly, another EC member Matthias Mangmog, who is the Manager of Marine Safety and Inspection within the Pohnpei (FSM) Department of Transportation, Communication and Infrastructure, chairs the Safety Subcommittee. The final EC member is Ned Howard, the Director of Marine from the Cook Islands Ministry of Transport. Ned has also been trained as an auditor, in addition to Taulapapa, Hayes and Matthias. He actively contributes to PacMA through both the EC and the Audit Subcommittee even though he comes from one of the smallest maritime administrations in the region.

The Audit Subcommittee also has in its membership Starling Daefa, Head of the School of Marine and Fisheries in the Solomon Islands College of Higher Education; in addition to Hayes, Taulapapa, Ned, John and the two RMP staff - Apenisa Vata and Hakaumotu Fakapelea.

The Safety Subcommittee includes Inoke Ratotodro, Acting Director of Fiji Islands Safety Administration (FIMSA); Miteti Abete, Director of Marine from the Kiribati Ministry of Communication and Tourism Development; Delai Vakasilimi, Manager Survey of the PNG National Maritime Safety Authority and Secretariat representative Alobi Bomo in addition to Matthias and Richard.

The MET Subcommittee's membership includes Leuluaifumua Fatu Lafoai, Head of the School of Maritime Training at the National University of Samoa's Institute of Technology; Josateki Tagi, FIMSA’s Acting Deputy Director; Dabung Kiong, Head of Nautical Studies at PNG Maritime College; Captain Tevita Robanakadavu, Head of School of Fiji Institute of Technology's School of Maritime and Fisheries and Secretariat representatives Alobi Bomo and Megan Streeter in addition to Richard and Taulapapa.

The re-elected committee members reiterated their commitment to continuing to serve PacMA to the best of their abilities and to progress further the objectives of the Association.

Last Updated Tuesday, 12 August 2008