MATSON Shipping’s commitment to increase its link to Fiji will see their ship, Islander, berth every fourth Thursday at Suva and then Lautoka.

This decision will see Pacific nations being more linked with even greater access to the American and Australian markets.

The Islander was on its maiden voyage to Fiji was in Suva last Thursday where a blessing of the ship took place.

The ship had previously been in Tonga where there was a royal mix in the blessing at Nuku’alofa.

Matson Shipping communications manager Michael Jones said the extension presented new opportunities.

“That is really an extension of what we do here in Fiji so we currently service Fiji with two vessels out of Auckland which also links the Samoas, the Cook Islands and Tonga. We think this is an exciting new opportunity to link Fiji to mainland US and also to Hawaii,” Mr Jones said.

“So this vessel, the Islander is on its maiden voyage which originated in the West Coast of the USA, came through Hawaii, then to Samoa and then Tonga and then to Suva, Lautoka on its 28-day schedule.

“We are really excited because it links up people here with the markets in the USA for importing and exporting and also Hawaii is a new opportunity, we believe.

“There is also a big Fijian community in Hawaii and also in the USA so this links families to families.”

Mr Jones said Matson’s focus was the Pacific and they felt the market was growing.

“We think of it as an enhancement of current services to Fiji. It is great for trade and it is great for economic development,” he added.

“For us we are unashamedly a Pacific carrier. A carrier whose focus is the Pacific, particularly out of hubs like Long Beach, Honolulu, Auckand, Suva and also Australia. For us it is what is coming out of USA and Australia, so … it is business as usual and if anything there is an increasing opportunity obviously for exporters to Fiji.

“We know USA is an important market and as is New Zealand.

“Shipping in the Pacific is a tough game. We make no bones about it but we have been in the Pacific for 140 years. Matson had started services out of Hawaii and we have trips coming through with the white ships which the older generation is familiar with,” Mr Jones said. “This is in terms of commercial freight carriers which we have been doing for 50 years and we are all through the Pacific. We are finally connecting the dots.”