A cargo ship has halted its journey to the capital due to reports of congestion at the port. The local shipping agent for the Capitaine Tasman confirmed that the vessel would not be docking in Suva because there is insufficient berthing space available.
However, the Ports Authority announced late last night that the vessel had arrived a day late. Fiji Ports Terminal manager operations, Shone Pereira, explained that there was no available berth on September 21 since the Capitaine Tasman arrived late while other vessels occupied the North and South berths.
This delay has frustrated export operators such as Performance Flotation Development, which has experienced similar setbacks in recent months. The Nabua-based textile manufacturer stated that all inbound goods will now be delivered to Lautoka port and transferred to another vessel, Capitaine Magellan, for transport to Suva.
Mike Towler, managing director of Performance Flotation Development, expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation, stating, “This is the sort of situation we must endure with Fiji Ports. It’s ridiculous.”
Performance Flotation Development is known as the largest manufacturer of life jackets in the Southern Hemisphere. The local agent, Shipping Services Fiji Limited, indicated that the Capitaine Tasman had been unable to dock in Suva due to a lack of berthing space, yard congestion, and slow vessel operations. They confirmed that all inbound cargo would be unloaded in Lautoka and then transferred to Capitaine Magellan for delivery to Suva.