A cargo ship has suspended its journey to the capital due to reports of congestion at the docking facilities. The local shipping agent for Capitaine Tasman announced that the vessel would not be able to dock in Suva because of insufficient berthing space.
The Fiji Ports Authority stated late last night that the vessel arrived a day late. According to Shone Pereira, the operations manager at Fiji Ports Terminal, there was no available berth on September 21, as other vessels were occupying both the North and South berths.
This postponement has raised concerns among export operators like Performance Flotation Development, a frequent occurrence over recent months that has sparked frustration. The Nabua-based textile manufacturer confirmed that all inbound goods would now be delivered to Lautoka port and then transferred to another ship, the Capitaine Magellan, for transport to Suva.
Mike Towler, managing director of Performance Flotation Development, expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation at the wharf, stating, “This is the sort of situation we must endure with Fiji Ports. It’s a joke.”
Performance Flotation Development is recognized as the largest manufacturer of life jackets in the Southern Hemisphere. The local agent, Shipping Services Fiji Limited, attributed the ship’s omission of Suva on this voyage to the lack of berthing space, yard congestion, and slow operations at the port.
Shipping Services reiterated that all inbound cargo would be unloaded in Lautoka and then transferred to the Capitaine Magellan for delivery to Suva.