Maritime Safety Authority Fiji

What Maritime Safety Authority Fiji does

The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) is a government statutory body established under the Maritime Transport Act 2013 and the Maritime (STCW Convention) Regulations 2014, operating as the sole national regulator for maritime safety and marine environment protection within Fiji waters. Headquartered at Level 4, Kadavu House, 414 Victoria Parade, Suva, the authority serves commercial maritime operators (passenger, fishing, and cargo vessels), seafarers and maritime personnel, and recreational mariners. Service delivery is direct from its Suva headquarters, reaching stakeholders through marine notices, coastal warnings, a quarterly newsletter, and an active presence on Facebook and LinkedIn.

MSAF's product portfolio spans approximately 15 core service categories: vessel registration, seafarer licensing and manning, vessel inspections and surveys, aids to navigation and mooring management, Boat Master and Restricted Master Engineer licensing, STCW-regulated certification, medical practitioner oversight for seafarer fitness, shipbuilder approval, anti-fouling product and supplier recognition, radio surveyor certification, marine notices, coastal warnings, incident reports, and biofouling management plans and record books. The underlying technology is conventional maritime regulatory infrastructure — registration systems, navigation monitoring capabilities, and ship survey tooling — with no disclosed AI, API, or proprietary platform components.

MSAF generates revenue primarily through regulatory fees for vessel registration, STCW seafarer certifications, inspections, surveys, and maritime licenses, structured on an annual billing cadence. Additional programmatic scope is funded through international partnerships, notably as a Leading Partner Country in the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships Project and via the IMO-Norad TEST Biofouling Project. The organization is led by Acting CEO Sereana Lalakobau, with Captain Viliame Cola Kotobalavu managing navigation monitoring and infrastructure, and Ms. Atelini Baravilava overseeing enforcement compliance. Headcount is reported at 51-100 employees.

Name

Maritime Safety Authority Fiji

Legal name

Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji

Website

https://msaf.com.fj

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji is a government statutory body regulating maritime safety and marine environment protection within Fiji waters, serving commercial vessel operators, seafarers, and recreational mariners through registration, licensing, inspections, and certification services under the Maritime Transport Act 2013.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Safety Regulation

NAICS

Navigational Services to Shipping (488330), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Port and Harbor Operations (488310)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Ship & Port Security Audits, Inspections & Certification (Flag/Class/PSC Support) (TLAHANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulatory & Sanctions Compliance Screening for Maritime Operations (Trade Controls, AML) (TLAHANAL), Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI), ISPS Code Compliance & Port Facility Security Assessments (PFSA/PFSP) (TLAHANAA)

Keywords

• Maritime safety regulation
• Vessel registration services
• Seafarer certification
• Ship inspection surveys
• Marine navigation aids

Headquarters

HQ city

Suva

HQ country

Fiji

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Regulatory and Certification Services: MSAF generates revenue through regulatory fees for services including vessel registration, seafarer certifications (STCW regulated fees), inspections and surveys, and various maritime licenses and permits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MSAF is Fiji's national maritime safety regulatory authority responsible for registering vessels operating in Fiji waters, certifying seafarers under the STCW Convention, conducting vessel safety inspections and surveys, issuing Boat Master and Restricted Master Engineer Class 6 licenses, approving ship builders and anti-fouling products, certifying radio surveyors, and managing aids to navigation and moorings. The authority also issues marine notices and coastal warnings, maintains an incident reporting system, and operates biofouling management documentation under the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships Project.

Product overview

The Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) operates as a government maritime regulatory body providing a comprehensive suite of services focused on maritime safety and marine environment protection. The portfolio includes core regulatory services such as vessel registration, seafarer licensing and manning, vessel inspections and surveys, and management of navigation aids. Additional services encompass anti-fouling product approvals, radio surveyor certification, and medical practitioner oversight. MSAF also issues Marine Notices and Coastal Warnings for navigation safety, maintains an incident reporting system, and participates in the GloFouling Partnerships Project for biofouling management. The organization functions as both regulator and promoter of maritime safety standards within Fiji waters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vessel Registration Statutory registration and documentation services for vessels operating in Fiji waters, ensuring compliance with the Maritime Transport Act 2013 and related regulations. For vessel owners, operators, and masters of commercial, fishing, and recreational vessels.
• Seafarers & Manning

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully coordinated removal of approximately 23,000 liters of diesel from grounded cruise vessel to prevent environmental damage to surrounding reefs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• International Maritime Organization (IMO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026MSAF co-organizes workshops with IMO as part of the IMO-Norad TEST Biofouling Project, a global initiative helping developing countries manage biofouling and prevent invasive species transfer. MSAF is a Leading Partner Country (LPC) in the GloFouling Partnerships Project.
• GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 July 2024Global initiative that unites key partners to address invasive aquatic species introduced via biofouling. Fiji, as one of the Leading Partner Countries (LPCs), participates in regional and national activities including training courses and taskforce meetings.
• Maritime Technology Centre for the Pacific (MTCC-Pacific)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2024MTCC-Pacific supports MSAF in developing national approaches for maritime technology and biofouling management. MTCC-Pacific participated in the Regional GloFouling Taskforce meeting.
• University of the South Pacific (USP)supportingTechnology or IntegrationUSP participated in the GloFouling Regional Taskforce meeting, contributing expertise to biofouling management strategies and regional coordination efforts.
• Pacific Community (SPC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPC participated in the Regional GloFouling Taskforce meeting alongside other Pacific regional organizations to develop coordinated approaches to biofouling management.
• Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPREP organized regional and national biofouling workshops in collaboration with the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloFouling Partnerships and MSAF, providing environmental expertise for invasive species management.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Maritime New Zealand: New Zealand's national maritime safety and environmental protection regulator, performing an almost identical statutory role to MSAF — vessel registration, seafarer certification, maritime inspections, and response to marine pollution. Most directly comparable peer by mandate, scope, and Pacific regional context.
• Papua New Guinea Maritime Safety Authority (PNG MSA): National maritime safety authority of Papua New Guinea with an analogous Pacific Island developing-country context, including vessel registration, seafarer licensing, and IMO-aligned regulatory functions. Closest peer in scale and operating environment.
• Maritime Safety Authority of Vanuatu: Vanuatu's national maritime regulator and a fellow Pacific Island authority. Comparable in statutory mandate, scale, and donor-funded capacity-building profile, and a co-participant with MSAF in the GloFouling Regional Taskforce.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA): Australia's national maritime regulator with a much broader portfolio covering search and rescue, navigation aids, and commercial vessel safety. Comparable as a regional Pacific regulator but operates at substantially greater scale and scope than MSAF.
• Transport Canada - Marine Safety: Canadian federal marine safety regulator handling vessel inspection, certification, and seafarer standards. Functionally analogous to MSAF in mandate, though embedded within a larger transport ministry structure.
• Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA): Singapore's port and maritime regulator combining statutory port-state control, vessel registration, and seafarer certification. Comparable in regulatory function but vastly larger in commercial throughput and revenue.
• Maritime and Coastguard Agency (UK MCA): UK's maritime safety and coastguard regulator with comprehensive inspection, certification, and pollution response functions. Comparable regulatory architecture and IMO-aligned framework execution, but at significantly larger scale.

Others

• International Maritime Organization (IMO): The UN specialized agency that sets the international maritime conventions (SOLAS, STCW, MARPOL) that MSAF implements. Not a peer in the competitive sense but the apex standards-setter whose framework defines MSAF's regulatory scope and an active MSAF partner.
• ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai): Maritime classification society performing vessel surveys, inspections, and statutory certification on behalf of flag states. Complementary to MSAF rather than competitive; comparable in inspection/survey technical functions performed in the maritime regulatory chain.

Regional players

• Cook Islands Maritime Services: Maritime regulatory body for the Cook Islands, also a participant in the GloFouling Regional Taskforce alongside MSAF. Comparable in small-jurisdiction Pacific regulatory profile, though with a smaller commercial vessel base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FijiMaritime
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maritime-safety-authority-fiji
• Xx.com/msafijiofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maritime Safety Authority Fiji