A cargo ship has halted its journey to the capital due to reports of congestion. The local shipping agent for Capitaine Tasman confirmed that the vessel would not dock in Suva because of insufficient berthing space. However, the Ports Authority informed that the ship arrived a day late.
According to Shone Pereira, the Ports Terminal operations manager, there was no berth available on September 21 as the vessel arrived late with other ships occupying the berths.
For export operators such as Performance Flotation Development, this delay, not an isolated incident in recent months, has caused frustration. They stated that all incoming goods will be taken to Lautoka port and then transferred to another ship, Capitaine Magellan, to continue to Suva.
Mike Towler, managing director of Performance Flotation Development, criticized the situation at the wharf, expressing his dissatisfaction and calling the circumstances a “joke.” His company is the largest life jacket manufacturer in the Southern Hemisphere. Shipping Services Fiji Limited reported that Capitaine Tasman skipped Suva due to unavailable berthing, yard congestion, and slow vessel operations. All inbound cargo will be offloaded in Lautoka and sent via Capitaine Magellan to Suva.