Mr Fix-it

FLEET supervisor Filimone Vakalu tulawa, 39, has the task of keeping the corporation’s vessels out catch ing tuna for the world. He is Mr Fix-it all who co-ordinates the movement of the boats; maintains communications; arranges for hiring of seasonal crew; makes arrangements for provisions, fuel, and water for the vessels and prepares a work programme for the corporation’s entire fleet.

“Fijians can be good fishermen, but

Vakalututawa: keeps Ika moving.

need guidance and expertise on how to run their own businesses,” he says.

A product of Ratu Kadavulevu School, in Tailevu, Vakalutulawa also attended the Fiji College of Agriculture and the School of Maritime Studies. He did a course on diesel engines in Japan. He

gained wide experience working in the

Fisheries Department, the Fiji Military Forces, Patterson Brothers, Beachcomber Cruises, Blue Lagoon Cruises and Tro pik Wood Industries before he found his niche at Ika Corporation.

“The new boats mean more cash, and more employment,” he says. □