A cargo ship has halted its journey to the capital due to reports of congestion at the port. The local shipping agent for Capitaine Tasman confirmed that the vessel would not be able to dock in Suva due to a shortage of berthing space. The Ports authority later reported that the ship arrived a day late.
Shone Pereira, the manager of operations at Fiji Ports Terminal, explained that there was no berthing space available on September 21, as other vessels were occupying both the North and South berths. For export companies such as Performance Flotation Development, this delay is not a new issue and often leads to frustration.
Inbound goods will now be unloaded at Lautoka port and transferred to another ship, Capitaine Magellan, for transport to Suva, stated the textile manufacturer based in Nabua. Mike Towler, managing director of Performance Flotation Development, expressed his frustration at the situation, describing it as unacceptable and jokingly lamenting the state of affairs with Fiji Ports.
Performance Flotation Development is noted as the largest manufacturer of life jackets in the Southern Hemisphere. According to Shipping Services Fiji Limited, the Capitaine Tasman had to skip Suva due to a combination of factors: lack of berthing availability, yard congestion, and slow operational productivity. All inbound cargo will now be discharged in Lautoka and sent to Suva on the Capitaine Magellan.