A non government organisation in the autonomous Papua New Guinea region of Bougainville says there must be improvements in the quality of inter island boat services.
Photo: RNZ
This follows the latest boating disaster in which two people are believed to have drowned after a banana boat carrying nine to the Carteret Islands sank.
Tulele Peisa's Ursula Rakova says boating tragedies affecting Carteret Islanders are frequent and she says it is because they are forced to use banana boats, which cannot cope with the sea conditions.
Her organisation sends much needed food back to the Carterets and she says they need safer transportation.
"The ABG [Autonomous Bougainville Government] needs to really look at a means of transportation that will basically carry food back and forth from mainland Bougainville to the islands. And these banana boats, even the speed boat that is currently there, is just not able to sustain the need, the need for regular food supply to the island."
Ursula Rakova.
