Wellington, June 29, 2016 - The transition to New Zealand’s new Maritime Operator Safety System (MOSS) is ahead of schedule with more than 50 per cent of commercial maritime operations now in the system or completing the application process, Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says.

All commercial operators must be in MOSS by 1 July 2018 — four years after the 1 July 2014 start date — with an estimated 1660 operations, covering more than 2600 vessels, expected to complete the entry process.

As of 28 June, 747 MOSS applications, covering 1602 vessels, have been approved and a further 141 applications, involving more than 200 vessels, are underway.

“MOSS is the biggest change for the maritime industry in 15 years and I’d like to thank operators for their cooperation. Feedback, particularly from smaller operators, has been positive,” Mr Foss says.

“MOSS offers considerable benefits over the previous system. For example, new operating certificates have a 10-year life, compared to four years under the old Safe Ship Management system. Good operators also potentially face fewer audits which means reduced compliance costs.

“Also, MOSS audits cover the whole operation. This means operators do not face an audit for each individual vessel in their fleet every two years.”

Operators in MOSS receive their first audit within two years of entering the system, and the next within four years of the first audit. If they are continuing to operate well, they are likely to receive only one further audit before the end of the 10-year period.