Maritime Legislation

Papua New Guinea’s maritime sector is governed by a comprehensive framework of national laws and international conventions. NMSA is responsible for the implementation and enforcement of these instruments.

Primary Legislation

• National Maritime Safety Authority Act 2003 — Establishes NMSA and its regulatory powers
• Merchant Shipping Act 1975 — Primary legislation for merchant shipping in PNG
• Navigation Act — Governs navigation safety and aids
• Marine Pollution Act — Addresses marine pollution prevention and response
• PNG Maritime Security Act — Maritime security framework
• Small Craft Act — Regulations for small vessels

International Conventions

PNG is a signatory to the following key IMO conventions:

• SOLAS — International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
• MARPOL — International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships
• STCW — International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping
• SAR — International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue
• COLREG — Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
• Load Lines Convention
• Tonnage Measurement Convention

Maritime Levies & Fees

The following is a schedule of levies and fees applicable to maritime services administered by NMSA.

Service / Item	Description	Fee (PGK)
Vessel Registration — Small Craft	Registration of small craft under 12m	K 250.00
Vessel Registration — Commercial	Registration of commercial vessels 12m+	K 1,500.00
Ship Survey — Initial	First survey for vessel registration	K 2,000.00
Ship Survey — Annual	Annual compliance survey	K 800.00
Seafarer Certificate — New	New certificate of competency issuance	K 500.00
Seafarer Certificate — Renewal	Renewal of existing certificate	K 300.00
Maritime Levy — Domestic	Per gross tonnage for domestic vessels	K 0.50/GT
Maritime Levy — International	Per gross tonnage for international vessels	K 1.20/GT
Pilotage Fee	Per pilotage operation in designated ports	K 3,500.00

Note: All fees are in Papua New Guinea Kina (PGK). Fees are subject to change. Contact NMSA for the most up-to-date schedule.

Compliance Requirements

All vessel owners and operators in PNG waters must comply with applicable national legislation and international conventions. Key compliance areas include:

• Vessel registration and certification
• Periodic safety surveys and inspections
• Crew qualifications and manning levels
• Safety equipment and life-saving appliances
• Pollution prevention equipment and procedures
• Maritime security protocols (ISPS Code)

Failure to comply may result in vessel detention, fines, or prosecution under PNG maritime law.