Former diplomat joins Sofrana

Shipping

SOFRANA Unilines has appointed

a former Fiji diplomat and trade union executive as its in dustrial manager. He is Epeli Kaci maiwai, 55, who was general secretary of the Fijian Teachers Association before his new appointment. Kacimaiwai’s new appointment includes being executive

chairman of Sofrana’s associate company, Pacific Line Limited, based in Suva.

Shardha Nand, the

owners’ representative

and chief executive of Sofrana Unilines in Fiji, says Kacimaiwai is the

first indigenous Fijian to

become a shipping com pany executive in Fiji.

“This is one further milestone in the over 20

years of Sofrana/Pacific Line services in Fiji and the South Pacific linking the shipping services with Australia and New Zealand,” Nand says.

Kacimaiwai’s appointment is part of

Sofrana Unilines’ expansion programme to accommodate the expected growth in Fiji’s export industry. Nand said Kaci maiwai will develop services provided by Sofrana Unilines and Pacific Line Li mited to cater for exporters who do not want to be bogged down with paper work.

Kacimaiwai joined Sof rana Unilines on Febru ary 19. Says Nand: “Kaci maiwai’s services as in dustrial manager will be invaluable in the various sectors of our industrial relations. We feel that his experience as trade un ionist and as a high gov ernment official will con tribute significantly to the improvement of Sofrana Unilines and Pacific Lines

services in Fiji and the Pacific.”

s3m bounty

COOK Islands’ Marine Resource Minis ter Julian Dashwood has encouraged the

arrest of Japanese fishing vessels found fishing illegally in the Cooks. Julian Dashwood said each ship arrested could be resold to the owners for US$3 mil lion. Cook Islands government officials suspect Japanese fishing boats working the French Polynesia fisheries of straying across the border.

$53,000 fine

THE captain of a Taiwanese fishing boat was fined U 5553,000 for fishing without a licence in Tonga, and for destroying evidence. The skiper, Tung Wen Tie pleaded guilty at the Supreme Court in Nukualofa. His ship, Shin Yin Han No. 21 was confiscated. The arrest was made in January.

New service THE Cook Islands government shipping line has chartered a ship to service the Cooks-Fiji route on a monthly basis. The vessel, Ngamaru 11 , made its first trip to Suva last month. Previously it serviced the New Zealand-Niue-Cook Islands route.

Poacher arrested THE Korean longliner Sam Song 602 was impounded by the Kiribati govern ment which charged the captain of illeg al fishing near the Phoenix Group. Re ports said a search of the vessel found records of the ship having been fishing inside Kiribati’s exclusive economic zone.

The ship did not have a licence to fish in Kiribati. □

Jale Moala

Kacimaiwai: new job.