Pacific Forum Line
IndustryShipping
Founded1976 (1976)
OwnerGovernment of Samoa, Neptune Pacific
ParentPacific Forum Line Limited
Websitepacificforumline.com

Pacific Forum Line (PFL) is a regional shipping line in Polynesia. Established in 1976 by the Pacific Islands Forum to ensure a regional shipping service, it was purchased in 2012 by the government of Samoa. It is currently operated as a joint venture with Neptune Pacific Line.

History

The Kokopo Chief, a PFL container ship
MV Southern Trader

The Pacific Forum Line was born from concern over the deterioration of traditional island tramp services due to containerisation. At the South Pacific Forum in Nauru in 1976 pacific nations agreed to establish a shipping line to ensure regular shipping services for the islands and encourage development.[1] The initial memorandum of understanding required the line to be incorporated in Samoa, operate a viable shipping service and attempt to make a profit, with any profit allocated between founding nations.[2][3] The initial owners - the governments of the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tonga - all had an equal say in governance of the line, though each had a different financial stake.[2] Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Niue later became shareholders.

The first services began in May 1978, with a ship serving Australia, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and New Zealand.[4] The company was immediately in financial trouble,[5] and by 1981 was in danger of collapse.[6] Losses in the first three years of operations were more than US$16 million, and it continued to be supported by member nations.[7][8] The line finally became profitable in the late 1980's.[9] By 1998, twenty years after being established, it was seen as an example of successful regionalism and had finally begun paying dividends.[10]

In 2007 the Forum received an apparently unsolicited bid from Pacific International Lines to buy the company. This was followed by bids from Swire Shipping and Fiji Water-Neptune Pacific Line.[11] An extraordinary shareholders' meeting in March 2008 rejected any proposal to sell the company.[12] Following the meeting, leaked emails showed that CEO John MacLennan had actively promoted the sale.[13]

Purchase by Samoa

Heavy losses in 2011 caused several of the owner countries to consider selling their stake in 2012.[14][15] Following a bid by Singaporean company Sofrana, the Samoan government bought out the other countries in October 2012.[16] In September 2013 it sold a 50 percent stake in the company to Neptune Pacific Line, a subsidiary of Roll Global.[17] The deal required PFL to continue to serve every Forum country except Tuvalu, Niue and the Marshall Islands.[18]

In 2016 the company merged with Polynesian Shipping Line.[19]

Operations

Pacific Forum Line routes in 2015

Pacific Forum Line Limited the parent, is registered in Apia, Samoa and the operating arm – Pacific Forum Line (N.Z) Limited is located in Auckland, New Zealand. Pacific Forum Line has also set up agency divisions in many of the ports they service.

Pacific Forum Line vessels operate on five routes that connect the Pacific Islands to New Zealand and Australia and provide an important South Pacific Inter-island link. PFL carries containerised and break-bulk cargo on the New Zealand and Australian trade vessels. In addition, to and from Australia bulk liquids are also carried in purpose built tanks.

Current fleet

PFL's current vessels include:[20]

  • Capitaine Tasman
  • Capitaine Dampier
  • Southern Moana
  • Kokopo Chief
  • Southern Trader

Accidents

In April 2004 the captain of the Forum Fiji II died after being washed overboard 320km south of Tonga.[21]

In August 2009 the Forum Samoa II ran aground on the reef at Apia harbour after suffering engine trouble.[22] It was freed in September.[23]

References

  1. ↑ "South Pacific Forum: Regional shipping line approved". Canberra Times. 29 July 1976. p. 9. Retrieved 18 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. 1 2 "Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the Pacific Forum Line Limited" (PDF). Pacific Islands Forum. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  3. ↑ "Forum shipping line may begin late next year". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 28 July 1976. p. 4. Retrieved 18 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ ""If we break even, we'll be laughing": PFL's modest aim". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 49, no. 8. 1 August 1978. p. 77-79. Retrieved 18 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ "Fate of Forum line in debate". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 1 August 1979. p. 13. Retrieved 18 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "Muldoon Statement: Pacific Forum Line 'in danger of collapse'". Canberra Times. 7 April 1981. p. 4. Retrieved 18 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ "Transport in the Pacific: Shipping". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 59, no. 8. 1 August 1988. p. 24. Retrieved 18 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ↑ "MORE OZ, NZ, HELP FOR FORUM LINE". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 54, no. 5. 1 May 1983. p. 6. Retrieved 18 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "Forum Line shows how things can work". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 60, no. 5. 1 May 1990. p. 39-41. Retrieved 18 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ Michael Field (7 October 1998). "PACIFIC FORUM LINE BECOMES SUCCESSFUL SHIPPER". Pacific Islands Report. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  11. ↑ Tim Hunter (11 May 2008). "DRAWING THE LINE". Sunday Star-Times – via EBSCOHost.
  12. ↑ "Shipping sell-off plan canned". Fiji Times. 20 March 2008 – via EBSCOHost.
  13. ↑ Tim Hunter (13 July 2008). "Emails clue to strife in Pacific shipping". Sunday Star-Times – via EBSCOHost.
  14. ↑ "Queries over secrecy surrounding planned sale of Pacific shipping service". RNZ. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  15. ↑ Matt Nippert (30 September 2012). "'Secret' sale of ship line a threat to tiny nations". Sunday Star-Times. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  16. ↑ Rachna Lal (3 October 2012). "Samoa to buy Forum Line". Fiji Sun. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  17. ↑ Michael Field (12 September 2013). "Samoa sells stake in Pacific shipping firm". Stuff. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  18. ↑ "Samoa Government To Sell 50% Interest In Pacific Forum Line". Pacific Islands Report. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  19. ↑ "Pacific Forum Line, Polynesian Shipping Line Merge". Pacific Islands Report. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  20. ↑ "Our fleet". Pacific Forum Line. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  21. ↑ "Captain washed overboard drowns". Dominion Post. 29 April 2004 – via EBSCOHost.
  22. ↑ "CARGO SHIP REMAINS GROUNDED OFF APIA HARBOR". Pacific Islands Report. 3 September 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  23. ↑ "CARGO SHIP 'FORUM' FREED FROM SAMOA REEF". Pacific Islands Report. 8 September 2009. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
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