A cargo ship has postponed its journey to the capital due to reports of port congestion. The local shipping agent for the Capitaine Tasman confirmed that the vessel would not be docking in Suva because there was insufficient berthing space. Ports officials clarified late last night that the vessel arrived a day later than expected.
“On September 21, there was no berth available because the vessel arrived late, and other ships were occupying the North and South berths,” said Shone Pereira, the manager of operations at Fiji Ports Terminal.
For export operators like Performance Flotation Development, this delay, which is not the first in recent months, is frustrating. “All inbound cargo will be unloaded at Lautoka port and transferred to another ship, Capitaine Magellan, for delivery to Suva,” the Nabua-based textile manufacturer announced.
Mike Towler, managing director of Performance Flotation Development, expressed his displeasure with the situation at the port. “This is the sort of nonsense we have to deal with at Fiji Ports,” he stated. “It’s just ridiculous.”
Towler’s company is the largest manufacturer of life jackets in the Southern Hemisphere. According to Shipping Services Fiji Limited, the Capitaine Tasman skipped Suva due to a lack of berthing space, yard congestion, and slow vessel operations. “All our inbound cargo will be offloaded in Lautoka and then transferred to Capitaine Magellan for transport to Suva,” the shipping company confirmed.