A cargo ship had to halt its journey to the capital due to reports of congestion in the area. The local shipping agent for Capitaine Tasman has confirmed that the vessel will not be docking in Suva because there is not enough berthing space available.
Late last night, the ports authority stated that the ship arrived a day late. “No berth was available on September 21 due to the vessel’s late arrival and other ships occupying the North and South berths,” said Shone Pereira, the operations manager at Fiji Ports Terminal.
For export businesses like Performance Flotation Development, which has faced similar delays in recent months, this situation has been frustrating. The Nabua-based textile manufacturer announced that all incoming goods will be offloaded at Lautoka port and transferred to another ship, Capitaine Magellan, to reach Suva.
Mike Towler, managing director of Performance Flotation Development and the largest manufacturer of life jackets in the Southern Hemisphere, expressed his frustration with the situation at the wharf. “This is the kind of nonsense we have to deal with at Fiji Ports,” Towler remarked. “It’s an absolute joke.”
Shipping Services Fiji Limited, the local agent, noted that Capitaine Tasman skipped Suva on this voyage due to the unavailability of berthing, yard congestion, and slow operational productivity. “All our incoming cargo will be discharged in Lautoka and transferred to Capitaine Magellan for Suva,” they confirmed.