The islanders of Ono-i-Lau are frustrated over the irregularity of shipping services to the four villages on the farthest island in the Fiji Islands.
Speaking in iTaukei, Motokana village headman Josefa Nadovo said shipping services were serious issues the Government of the day should look into.
Mr Nadovo said the past years people of Ono-i-Lau had been having difficulty in travelling to and from the island.
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The 93 households of Ono-i-Lau are from the villages of Motokana, Doi, Lovoni and Nukui.
“The irregular shipping services on our island continually makes us face the challenges of shortage in food supplies and other necessities,” Mr Nadovo said.
According to Mr Nadovo they hadraised the issue with the Eastern Commissioner Luke Moraivalu in 2015 during a talanoa session at Vanuabalavu.
South Island Shipping Services vessels Liahona I and Liahona II serve Southern Lau.
“We face difficulties with travelling to and from the capital city because we sell our products at the Suva market,” he said.
“When there is no vessel because of bad weather, we start to worry about our food supplies.
“Our villages’empty stores and canteen shelves are worrying.
“Government and shipping services should consider having more shipping companies to cater for us.
“There should at least be a ship catering us every fortnight,” he said.
Doi village headman Mataika Pasi voiced the same sentiments.
“If we receive shipping services two to three times in a month, it will solve all problems,” Mr Pasi said.
“The vessel only reaches Lakeba, when we reach Lakeba it takes us 12 hours to reach Doi,” he said.
“Sometimes we have travel at night and the seas are rough.
“It will be a problem solver when we have regular services,” he said.
Mr Moraivalu said the issues have been raised with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.
“The issue has been raised to the ministry in charge, thus I cannot comment on the issue,” Mr Momoivalu said.
Likewise, South Island Shipping Services said they could not comment on the issue.
Attempts to get comments from SIS director Ulaiasi Buivatu before this edition went to press were unsuccessful
