An inter-Caribbean passenger ferry service will need strict regional safety standards and coordinated emergency systems to work, an experienced mariner and fisherman has warned, citing Saturday’s Guyana river ferry disaster as a stark lesson for governments.

Moonesh Dharampaul, the president of the Black Fin Fleet Co-operative Society, said the fatal incident in Guyana highlighted critical regulatory failures that regional authorities cannot afford to repeat.

“The situation in Guyana was unfortunate because it shows a lack of maintenance on that vessel as well as safety gear devices, and even life boats and life rafts,” Dharampaul said. “For the Caribbean situation, it all comes down to the type of vessel that we are using to ensure that the passengers are in a safe position.”