Local ferry operator Goundar Shipping Limited appears to be on a collision course with Transport Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau after the Minister announced that he would not approve the registration in Fiji of the company’s new inter-island fast ferry, Captain Inoke.
The 80-metre-long Captain Inoke arrived in Fiji on New Year’s Day this year and was commissioned by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka on January 3.
Goundar Shipping announced plans for Captain Inoke to operate a route running from Levuka to Natovi, Nabouwalu and Ellington Wharf, cutting the usual four-hour crossing time from Natovi to Nabouwalu to two hours.
However, almost 10 months later Captain Inoke, which Goundar Shipping says is a $7million investment, remains unregistered and at anchor.
Since its arrival Captain Inoke has been plagued by environmental and safety objections, including from Tu Navitilevu Ratu Emori Bolobolo.
Goundar Shipping (GSL) has now taken to social media to criticise the Transport Minister, threatening to report maritime authorities to the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption.
On Saturday, GSL posted on its Facebook page that there had been interference by MSAF members in the endorsement of the registration of Captain Inoke.
“GSL confirms that MSAF’s technical team has completed the full inspection of our vessel — meeting all legal and safety standards,” the post said.
“The MSAF CEO has already sent the approved documents to the minister (Ro Filipe) for signature, yet after two months, there’s still no endorsement.”
A second post followed, with GSL demanding “immediate action from the Honourable Minister to follow the Prime Minister’s recommendation and remove the MSAF Board members who are undermining lawful maritime processes”.
“If this interference continue, GSL will refer the matter to FICAC and pursue legal action to protect our rights and the integrity of Fiji’s maritime industry,” the post continued.
Captain Inoke
According to www.vesselfinder.com, Captain Inoke, currently known as HARMONY FLOWER, is a passenger and roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) ferry that was built in 1998 by a Guangzhou shipyard in China. The vessel currently flies the Korean flag.
While GSL has not confirmed its speed, data on VesselFinder showed that it has travelled at speeds of between 25 knots to 40 knots, making it significantly faster than local passenger vessels which are travelling between nine to 12 knots.
Its overall length is 80.10 metres with a beam (width) of 19.46 metres. Its gross tonnage is 2071 tonnes.
In June this year, former MSAF CEO Joeli Cawaki said MSAF had received complaints from 10 groups and individuals regarding Captain Inoke and since there were possible threats to the marine environment, these complaints had been referred to the Ministry of Environment.
Concerns have also been raised about the structure and age of the ferry as this is its 27th year of its operation.
In an earlier interview, Mr Cawaki said that MSAF had found 20 cracks in the ferry’s hull, making it a safety issue for the passengers it will carry.
Mr Cawaki had also said MSAF had found issues with the thickness of Captain Inoke’s hull.
So far, neither MSAF nor GSL have commented on whether the issues raised by MSAF had been resolved.
In August, Ra chief Tu Navitilevu Ratu Emori Bolobolo had make a call to Government to halt the registration and deployment of Captain Inoke, warning it may be unsafe.
“This is not just about one village or province,” Ratu Emori said.
“This is about every Fijian who boards a ferry, every parent who sends their child across the sea, every family who depends on safe passage.”
In response to questions from The Fiji Times, Transport Minister Ro Filipe Tuisawau said he would not be approving the registration of Captain Inoke.
“I assure the public, especially our maritime passengers, that their safety and wellbeing shall remain paramount,” he said.
“MSAF has already written to Goundar, and I reiterate that I will not issue any approval.”
Asked if the non-approval stemmed from the vessel’s age, Ro Filipe said he would be issuing a full, detailed statement by mid-week on why he is not approving the registration.
Fast ferry issues
According to online sources and commentary, fast ferries have become controversial in many parts of the world because of their threats to the environment and to marine life.
Apart from the advantage of speed which allows for shorter travel times, fast ferries are usually smaller in size, resulting in limited passenger and vehicle capacity. Seating is usually more confined with limited space to move around, and due to its small size, they may face limitations in adverse weather conditions.
Fast ferries have higher operations costs, and their fuel consumption is relatively higher.
This makes them a more expensive mode of inter-island transportation.
Several countries have implemented bans and restrictions on the use of fast ferries as a passenger vessel, citing environmental concerns as reasons for restrictions.
These environmental concerns include wave wash, noise disturbances, ship strikes, emissions due to high fuel consumption.
In New Zealand, when the operation of fast ferries first began in 1994, residents in Tory Channel — one of the drowned valleys that is normally used by inter-island ferries as the principal channel between Cook Strait and the Marlborough Sounds — immediately noticed substantial erosion of their water banks, the stranding and destruction of marine and bird life, the washing up of large boulders onto the shore, the disturbance of ancient burial grounds, and the potential damage to moored boats and structures such as boat sheds and ramps.
In Hawaii, fast ferry services were effectively banned from 2007 due to potential harm to marine life (including endangered species) from ferry wake and collision.
In the United Kingdom, restrictions on fast ferries are route and area specific, primarily to protect marine environments, ensure safety in rough waters, and manage operational costs.
In April 2008, the Advisory Committee for the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, Northeast Atlantic, Irish and North Seas — a 10-member international conservation agreement under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (also known as the Bonn Convention) which includes Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Finland and Denmark — put together a research report on shipping, especially high-speed ferries, and its effects on cetaceans.
The report found that fast ferries with speed limits above 30 knots are a risk to sea mammals in terms of ship strikes and disturbance and those with speed capabilities of 14 knots and above can cause lethal injuries.
“Ship strikes are an important conservation threat to cetaceans, particularly large odontocetes such as sperm whale and long-finned pilot whale, and some of the baleen whales, notably fin whale,” it said.
“Most serious or lethal injuries appear to be caused by vessels travelling at speeds of 14 knots or more.”
The Natovi-Nabouwalu-Ellington vessel route risk
In Fiji, the Natovi-Nabouwalu-Ellington vessel route crosses the Vatu-I-Ra Seascape.
This is one of Fiji’s marine sanctuaries and an international sanctuary for endangered species like humpback wrasse, bumphead parrotfish and whitetip sharks.
It is also the migratory route for other sea mammals including whales, turtles as well as dolphins. Divers travel from all over the world to see the colours and sights of the Vatu-I-Ra Seascape.
The seascape also provides food and livelihoods for more than 100,000 people living near and in the seascape.
This includes the people of Ra and Rakiraki, Ovalau, Makogai, Wakaya, Koro, Gau, and those living South-West on Vanua Levu island.
Ministerial authority in ship registration
The Fiji Ship Registration Act 2013 provides the legal framework for the registration of ships under the Fiji flag.
Under Section 4 of the Act no second-hand ship imported for a commercial purpose and which is more than 20 years old can be registered unless approval is given by the Transport Minister.
However, before approval the minister must ensure that approving the ship does not violate any national laws or maritime conventions, that there is an active maintenance system for all machinery and equipment, that the ship’s operation will not pose significant safety risks, and that any other necessary conditions set by the authority are met.
The future of faster inter-island marine transport may be at stake.
In March Goundar announced that it would import a second fast ferry to service Kadavu, with the aim of cutting travel time from Suva to two hours from the current eight hours.
However, The Fiji Times understands that this second vessel has not yet arrived.
