Environment Southland manages navigational safety within the Fiordland region and is committed to undertaking and regulating marine operations for cruise ships within its area. The increasing frequency, scale and duration of cruise ship traffic through Fiordland will increase the risks. Milford Sound is not the only passage where blind pilotage can be a necessity.
There are a number of measures that the regional council could take to better manage the risks to navigation safety within Fiordland, including: the provision of more navigation aids; better training and currency for pilots in blind pilotage techniques; and even prohibiting night navigation of certain passages if that were felt necessary.
On 22 June 2018 the Commission recommended that the Chief Executive of Environment Southland review the risk assessment for safe navigation within Fiordland and take the necessary action(s) to mitigate the risk of large cruise ships frequently transiting narrow passages with limited room for manoeuvring and with pilots on board during the hours of darkness or in other conditions of restricted visibility.