New Maritime Law Sparks Scrutiny Concerns

Jersey Scrutiny Panel Raises Alarm Over Gaps in Maritime Safety Laws

A government scrutiny panel in Jersey has raised concerns over proposed changes to maritime legislation, warning that the new measures may fall short in tackling drug and alcohol use at sea.

The Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel has criticised the draft regulations for lacking "sufficient provisions to deter operators of ships navigating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs."

Under the current proposal, authorities would only be allowed to test vessel operators for alcohol or drugs if the vessel had been involved in careless navigation or an incident resulting in serious injury or death. The panel says this reactive approach undermines safety and fails to send a strong preventative message.

In a statement, the panel said: “This sends a very mixed message from the Government about what is acceptable when operating a vessel and is at odds with what is expected of road users.”

The group is calling for a more proactive approach to maritime safety. In its official comments paper, the panel recommends that the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development begin quarterly reviews of maritime incident data — including all accidents and coastguard callouts — to monitor for any rise in drug- or alcohol-related incidents.

Should such a trend emerge, the panel suggests that the minister consider revising the legislation to allow for breath or drug testing based on reasonable suspicion, rather than only after serious incidents.

The legislation is due to be debated later this year