Two crew members of Goundar Shipping Limited have been dismissed for reporting for duty while intoxicated.

This was revealed by Managing Director George Goundar, who claims that substance abuse at sea has become one of the most critical safety challenges facing domestic vessel operators.

The shipping tycoon raised serious allegations of alcohol and drug abuse among vessel crew members, while urging stronger enforcement powers and clearer legal protections for shipowners under the Employment Relations (Amendment) Bill 2025.

He highlighted this while making submissions before the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs.

Goundar described recent incidents where crew members were found heavily intoxicated shortly after vessels docked, while others could not be woken without physical intervention.

Goundar warns that such behavior places passengers, cargo, and coastal communities at serious risk, particularly given Fiji’s heavy reliance on maritime transport for inter-island connectivity.

According to Goundar, current maritime and labour laws provide insufficient authority for shipowners to effectively address alcohol and drug abuse, while enforcement agencies lack clear mandates to conduct testing or impose penalties.

He cited an incident in which intoxicated senior crew members were cleared to sail despite concerns raised by the shipowner.

“It’s a brotherhood in seamanship, but the public doesn’t understand that. Sometimes I’m scared to sleep at night, not knowing when I’ll get a phone call at two or three in the morning telling me my vessel is on the reef.”

In response, a representative from the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji acknowledged the concerns raised during the hearing.

MSAF told the Committee that while international standards such as the Maritime Labour Convention remain in draft form locally, Fiji already applies hours-of-rest requirements and safety standards through domesticated maritime regulations, including the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping framework.

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