A cargo ship has halted its journey to the capital due to congestion issues. The local shipping agent for Capitaine Tasman confirmed that the vessel would not be able to dock in Suva because there was insufficient berthing space available. However, late last night, the ports authority reported that the ship arrived a day late.
Fiji Ports Terminal operations manager Shone Pereira explained that there was no berth available on September 21, as the vessel arrived late, and other ships were occupying both the North and South berths.
For export businesses like Performance Flotation Development, this delay—part of an ongoing pattern of setbacks—has caused frustration. The Nabua-based textile manufacturer indicated that all incoming goods would now be unloaded at Lautoka port and then transferred to another vessel, Capitaine Magellan, for delivery to Suva.
Mike Towler, managing director of Performance Flotation Development and the largest life jacket manufacturer in the Southern Hemisphere, expressed his dissatisfaction with the current situation at the wharf. “This is the sort of nonsense we have to put up with from Fiji Ports,” Mr. Towler stated, describing the situation as a “joke.”
The local agent, Shipping Services Fiji Limited, further clarified that Capitaine Tasman had skipped its stop in Suva due to a lack of berthing availability, yard congestion, and slow vessel operations. All cargo destined for Suva will be offloaded in Lautoka and transferred to Capitaine Magellan.