Assets under the sea

In view of Frank Farrugia's Talking Point (April 30) entitled Let's Keep Scuba Diving Safe, the Professional Diving Schools Association would like to give readers its views on some of the points raised by Mr Farrugia.

First of all, we are encouraged that the Malta Tourism Authority's enforcement directorate has realised from a very early stage that it plays a significant role in ensuring that the safety of divers is not compromised. Also that safety standards are not flaunted by the few errant dive operators who put maximising profits ahead of providing a safe environment for their client divers by not implementing proper safety measures or investing in the necessary equipment required to achieve this goal.

For the vast majority of dive operators the safety of clients has always been paramount even when there was no legal statute on safety standards. Testament to this is the international reputation Malta enjoys for safe diving in comparison to our overseas competitors.

While we applaud the positive way in which the enforcement directorate has tackled its responsibilities and communication and liaison with the diving industry, it is a pity the same could not be said for other MTA directorates and government entities. For years we have been lobbying MTA and other entities to assist in improving dive sites and increasing accessibility/safety, especially in the winter months. Many promises are made yet very little concrete action is ever taken.

At the same time, the industry is losing an average of a dive site a year because coastal development in the areas either restricts accessibility or prejudices the safety of divers. We frequently come across fishermen's nets floating underwater at dive sites - a serious hazard for the unwary diver and definitely a negative experience for divers seeing fish, that they have travelled many miles to see, half dead in a net underwater.

As summer approaches we will have to cope with the fact that a number of boat users disregard the international diver's A Flag flying off dive boats, particularly at Comino, and whiz in and out of the 50 metre safety zone endangering the lives of divers coming up from a dive. This happens on a daily basis. Although we have brought this to the attention of the authorities several times, no action is ever taken.

The legislation in force requires that documented risk assessments are made for diving activities. We would like to assure the public that our members have always carried out such risk assessments for diving activities even before the law demanded it - this is one of the reasons why Malta has such a good safety record on diving. It is here that we disagree with Mr Farrugia's assertions that "most diving businesses do not consciously adopt risk management strategies, at least not in a systematic way". Our members have always adopted systematic risk management strategies prior to every dive but not in a manner that is fully compliant with the new legislation in as much as these risk management strategies were previously never documented as is now required. However, the association is currently field-testing risk assessment procedures that will fulfil the legal requirements and will be available to our members in the coming weeks.

Like most other industries in Malta, the costs of operating a business are increasing annually. In addition, the 2004 legislation on recreational diving has meant further financial costs for all dive operators.

Our members have responded positively and instituted changes into their work practices to comply with this legislation.

We also welcome MTA enforcement inspections as a means of raising the standard of diving services. However, it is disheartening for operators to discover that, in 2003, it was estimated that 25 per cent of divers on the islands were provided with services by unlicensed operations. Estimates for 2004 still have to be compiled. This creates an unfair competitive advantage for unlicensed operators and raises doubts over diver safety as they are not audited on this aspect because they should not be operating in the first place!

Finally, it is not only by focusing on diver safety that Malta will regain the status it once had as one of the top dive destinations for European divers. This niche market needs a coherent strategy at government level offering financial incentives to dive centres to invest in developing their businesses. Dive centres and the government need to work together on effective marketing strategies. We would like to see the government invest in the marine environment at a national level so that entrepreneurs in this industry may continue to retain and increase their market share of the European diving sector. To date, such a strategic plan is non-existent.

The industry was hoping that with the restructuring of the MTA (the most obvious source for such a strategy), we would have left behind outmoded bureaucratic processes and rejuvenated the diving market in a more entrepreneurial style. So far we have been sorely disappointed.

Mr Mifsud is secretary of the Professional Diving Schools Association.