Chinese Government grants multi-purpose cargo vessel worth USD 3.54 million to Fiji

Project narrative

On July 11, 2004, China agreed to grant Fiji a multi-purpose fishing vessel. Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase along with Fisheries Minister Konisi Yabaki requested the Chinese National Fisheries Corporation, the largest Chinese government-owned fishing corporation, for a fishing vessel. It was proposed that the vessel will be used as a research and training facility and also to transport catch from the outer islands. On August 8, 2006, the Fiji Ministry of Fisheries and Forestry and Wuhan Changjiang Ship Design Institue (CSDI) signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the design of the ship. On September 11, 2006, the Ambassador of the Embassy of China in Fiji visited the CSDI to exchange ideas about the project. On June 15, 2010, the China Assistance Fiji Multi-Purpose Ship Construction Contract with Wuhan Nanhua High-speed Ship Engineering Co., Ltd to build the ship was signed at the Prime Minister's Office in Fiji by the Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office of Fiji, Pio Ticdu Adua, and the temporary head of the Economic and Commercial Counsellor's Office of the Chinese Embassy, Yang Xuegang. The vessel cost USD 3.54 million, which was funded through a Chinese Government grant. The vessel would be used mainly for the transport of frozen fish, fresh fish on ice, dry and sundry goods in Fiji among the main island and offshore islands. On December 21, 2011, construction was completed and the new multi-purpose cargo vessel "Bai-Ni-Takali," measuring 36.8m long and 8m wide, arrived in Suva on her delivery voyage from China. Fiji's Minister of Primary Industries Joketani Cokanasiga and Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Huang Yong signed the acceptance agreement at the hand-over ceremony held at the Narayan Jetty in Suva. Personnel from the Department of Fisheries received two months of training in China. However, the vessel has had some operating problems. Mistakes were made because the instructions were in Chinese and could not be read by the crew. Documents have now been provided in English and Chinese engineers will be sent if the vessel can’t be fixed locally.