Suva Harbour Master and acting chief operating officer, Captain Laisiasa Gonewai has clarified the berthing arrangement at the Suva Port following Williams & Gosling Shipping- Fiji’s concern on the issue.
Mr Gonewai said that vessel arrival schedules were submitted by ship agencies on a monthly basis, however these were tentative bookings.
W&GSF is agent for oil tanker Bougainville which called into the Suva Port last Thursday and left on Saturday.
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According to company boarding officer Vili Marseu the vessel calls in on a monthly basis.
“We are faced with the berthing problem when our vessels call in. We try to have them keep to their time slots so that they don’t miss their berthing time,” Mr Marseu said.
He said vessels were entitled to berth for only for 40hrs at the most.
Mr Gonewai said, “Under the Sea Port Management Act, a 48 hour notice is mandatory for all port calls and then confirmed within 24hrs.”
King’s Wharf is 495 metres in length and can accommodate one large cruise ship (290m) and one container ship (170m).
“If a tanker was at berth during the arrival of a container ship then the tanker has to move to anchorage since it has priority over it,” he said.
“This is the same practice for all other international ports.
“We have dedicated mooring terminal in Vuda for tankers.
