A cargo ship had to halt its journey to the capital after reports of congestion surfaced. The local shipping agent for the Capitaine Tasman confirmed that the vessel would not be docking in Suva due to a lack of available berthing space. The Ports Authority later stated that the vessel arrived a day late.
Fiji Ports Terminal Operations Manager Shone Pereira explained that there were no available berths on September 21, as the vessel’s late arrival coincided with other ships occupying the North and South berths.
For export operators like Performance Flotation Development, this is not the first time they’ve faced such delays, and the frustration is palpable. The Nabua-based textile manufacturer reported that all inbound goods would instead be dropped off at Lautoka Port and transferred to another ship, Capitaine Magellan, to reach Suva.
Mike Towler, the managing director of Performance Flotation Development, expressed his anger over the situation at the wharf, calling the circumstances unacceptable. He remarked, “This is the sort of thing we have to endure with Fiji Ports,” emphasizing that the situation feels like a joke.
Performance Flotation Development is recognized as the largest manufacturer of life jackets in the Southern Hemisphere. According to local agent Shipping Services Fiji Limited, the Capitaine Tasman had skipped Suva on this voyage due to berth unavailability, yard congestion, and slow vessel operations. All inbound cargo will be offloaded in Lautoka and then forwarded to Capitaine Magellan for transport to Suva.