The Department of Lands has admitted it made a mistake when it approved a foreshore lease for Nawi Island Marina in Savusavu.
The error has sparked tension between Nawi Island Marina and nearby Copra Shed Marina, leading to serious business disruptions.
At a recent town hall meeting, Copra Shed Marina’s managing director Doly Singh raised concerns about how the situation had been handled.
Ms Singh claimed that earlier this year, Nawi Island Marina staff removed eight of Copra Shed’s moorings — four of which had boats tied to them at the time.
“These moorings have been in place for over 30 years and are registered with MSAF,” Singh said. “The boats were untied without permission and left unattended.”
Divisional Land Manager Viliame Waqa confirmed the department’s error and said steps were being taken to fix it.
“We admit the mistake and are working with stakeholders to resolve it,” Waqa said. “We’ll be holding more meetings to sort it out.”
He also pointed out that delays had been made worse by the lack of a foreshore officer in the North. A new officer is expected to be appointed to help speed things up.
In response, Nawi Island Marina stated that the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) was consulted before and after the moorings were removed, and that it acted with the approval of the MSAF CEO.
The company also claimed Copra Shed Marina failed to inform MSAF that its moorings were located within Nawi Island’s lease area, even though it renewed its licenses every year.
The dispute is ongoing, with both sides waiting on further action from authorities.
