TAVEUNI, Fiji’s third-largest island which serves as the country’s agricultural engine, is grappling with fuel shortages and shipping disruptions that have affected tourism, farming, and daily life.
The island provides more than 80 per cent of Fiji’s dalo (taro) and yaqona (kava) exports.
The Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association (FTHA) said hotels and resorts on the island were operating at or near full occupancy.
Still, many were struggling to secure fuel needed for electricity generation, water supply, transport, guest services and emergency backup systems.
Fantasha Lockington, FTHA chief executive officer, said the problem was no longer confined to the tourism sector.
“Fuel is not a luxury. It is fundamental to keeping businesses operating, staff employed and visitors safe,” she said.
“Our concern extends well beyond tourism. If established businesses with supply chains and purchasing power are struggling to secure fuel, the situation facing households, farmers, transport providers and essential services across the island is likely to be even more difficult.”
Taveuni is home to an estimated 12,000 to 20,000 people, with Fiji’s 2017 census putting the population at 13,774. The island, known as the Garden Island, also attracts eco-tourists, divers and honeymooners, and accounts for about 5% of Fiji’s visitor market.
Ferry links from Suva to Taveuni operate several times a week, with Goundar Shipping and Interlink Shipping serving the route, which covers roughly 291 km to 327 km by sea.
The island also has about 28 to 31 direct flights a week from Viti Levu to Matei Airport, mainly on Fiji Link and Northern Air.
FHTA said the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji had a critical role in enforcing safety standards but argued that regulation alone could not resolve the wider disruption.
“MSAF has a critical statutory role in protecting lives at sea, and we fully support that responsibility,” Lockington said.
“But where regulatory decisions have wider consequences for national supply chains and maritime communities, there must also be equal urgency in working alongside government and industry to identify practical solutions.”
“The objective cannot simply be to stop vessels from operating. The objective must be maintaining safe, reliable maritime services that continue delivering fuel, food, freight and other essential supplies to the islands that depend on them,” she said.
The association said the disruption underlined the dependence of island communities on reliable maritime links to keep hospitals, schools, farms, hotels and transport services running.
“Taveuni is one of Fiji’s premier tourism destinations, but first and foremost it is home to thousands of Fijians,” Lockington said.
“Reliable shipping supports hospitals, schools, businesses, agriculture, tourism and everyday life. When that supply chain breaks down, the impacts are felt across every sector.”
FHTA urged the government to bring together regulators, shipping operators and other agencies urgently to find immediate solutions that restore confidence in maritime supply while maintaining safety standards.
“This is not about assigning blame,” Lockington said.
“It is about recognising that Fiji cannot afford prolonged disruption to essential maritime services. Tourism can adapt to many challenges, but islands cannot operate indefinitely without reliable access to fuel and supplies.
The association said it stood ready to work with government and industry partners to protect both public safety and the economic well-being of Fiji’s maritime communities.
