A cargo ship has halted its journey to the capital following reports of congestion at the port. The local shipping agent for the Capitaine Tasman has announced that the vessel will not be docking in Suva due to a lack of berthing space.
Late last night, the Ports Authority reported that the ship arrived a day late. Fiji Ports Terminal’s operations manager, Shone Pereira, explained that there was no berth available on September 21 because the vessel was delayed and other ships were occupying the North and South berths.
Export operators, such as Performance Flotation Development, have expressed frustration over this setback, which is not the first of its kind in recent months. The Nabua-based textile manufacturer stated that all inbound goods would be offloaded at Lautoka port and transferred to another ship, the Capitaine Magellan, for transport to Suva.
Mike Towler, managing director of Performance Flotation Development, did not hold back his criticism regarding the situation at the wharf, calling it “a joke.” His business is the largest manufacturer of life jackets in the Southern Hemisphere. Meanwhile, local agent Shipping Services Fiji Limited stated that the Capitaine Tasman’s omission of Suva was due to unavailable berthing, yard congestion, and slow vessel operation productivity.
Shipping Services confirmed that all inbound cargo will be discharged in Lautoka and subsequently moved to the Capitaine Magellan for delivery to Suva.