Passengers travelling on an Interlink Shipping vessel from Nabouwalu were left stranded today after the boat was unable to berth at Ellington Jetty and remained anchored offshore with passengers still on board. Interlink said its vessel departed Nabouwalu at 9am but, on arrival at Ellington Jetty, could not dock because the berth was occupied by Goundar Shipping’s LP 9.
Interlink’s statement says LP 9 has been occupying the jetty since 4pm yesterday and is not scheduled to leave for Nabouwalu until 6pm this evening, leaving the Interlink vessel forced to anchor offshore for several hours. The company described the situation as unacceptable and warned it was placing passengers’ safety at risk.
“MSAF is not doing anything about this issue,” an Interlink spokesman said in the company’s release, accusing the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji of failing to intervene. Interlink also pointed to the authority’s statutory responsibility for the safe management and operation of jetty facilities under its jurisdiction, and said it had alerted both police and MSAF personnel in Rakiraki to the incident.
The new developments underline a local operational dispute over access to a key landing at Ellington Jetty, which links coastal communities and inter-island passenger services. With LP 9 scheduled to vacate the berth late this afternoon, Interlink’s vessel may be able to dock once the Goundar ship departs — but passengers have remained on board for hours while the standoff continued.
MSAF’s role in managing safety and berthing arrangements has come under scrutiny by Interlink; the authority has previously been at the centre of high-profile maritime safety matters, including a recent probe into a separate fatal incident at Suva Wharf. That background gives weight to Interlink’s criticism and highlights why operators look to MSAF for resolution when berthing conflicts arise.
Interlink said police and local MSAF officials in Rakiraki were notified, but it did not indicate whether an on-site resolution had been reached at the time of its statement. Goundar Shipping has not publicly commented on the occupation of the jetty or the scheduled departure of LP 9. The timing of the LP 9 sailing — set for 6pm — will be decisive for whether stranded passengers can disembark without further delay.
The situation is the latest example of how berth access and port operations can disrupt passenger services along Fiji’s coast, and renews calls from operators for clearer procedures and faster intervention from regulators when conflicts arise. Further updates are expected once the LP 9 departs or if MSAF issues a response to Interlink’s allegations.
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