FIJI has the opportunity to build topnotch ships and create a niche market for ship building in the Pacific. This was the view of Opposition member Aseri Radrodro during his 2016 Budget response in Parliament last week.

Mr Radrodro said Fiji Ships & Heavy Industries Ltd, which used to be known as the Fiji Marine Department, had a long and proud history in Fiji’s shipping industry.

“It has contributed to the building of many ships that are now enjoyed in our tourism industry for instance, like the well-known Reef Endeavour and the many Blue Lagoon Cruises vessels which include the Yasawa Princess, Nanuya Princess, Talamada, Myryanda, and the Lycianda to name a few,” Mr Radrodro said.

He added all that ship building experience was now but a distant memory and the Fiji Ships & Heavy Industries Ltd was confined to maintain day-to-day operations.

“This is a real opportunity for employment for our people and could be a niche market in this part of our world if we were to regain our place in producing this topnotch ships that once graced our waters and others that were built for foreign countries and have graced international seas.

“We need this industry to be reactivated especially as a means to create employment, and capitalise on the skills of the mataisau clan in Fiji, apart from maintaining our skills base and creating for ourselves a niche area of expertise.

Mr Radrodro said Fiji continued to lose expertise locally and also abroad.

“In fact, lest we forget, it was also the Fiji Ships & Heavy Industry employees who also contributed to the construction of the new Rewa Bridge with their expertise.

“Likewise in the Anaconda movie, they helped build a lot of equipment they used including water vessels like the barge used in the film shooting.”

The Opposition member also called for the improvement in services such as the slipway services which are over 20 years old. He said more needed to be done to attract vessels of higher tonnage, above 1000 tonnes, to utilise existing facilities.