In his letter to Norman T. Tenorio, president of Saipan Stevedore Company Inc., Sablan said the residents and businesses on Tinian have been left “stranded” by last month’s closure of Tinian Stevedore.
He said he knows that his request will bring Saipan Stevedore challenges, “but I am also aware of Saipan Stevedore’s long history in the NMI and I am confident that your team possesses the skills necessary to answer the desperate needs of our fellow residents on Tinian.”
In an interview, Rep. Trenton B. Conner, R-Tinian, who used to be a co-owner of Tinian Stevedore said small boats that transported goods from Saipan to Tinian killed their business.
With the dwindling volume of cargo headed to Tinian, Tinian Stevedore could not survive if there are other small vessels plying the same route, he added.
Conner said it’s “free enterprise” so there’s nothing he can do but to make a tough decision.
He said the same problem will face Saipan Stevedore if it expands to Tinian.
Sablan told Tenorio the lack of stevedore services on Tinian will “further negatively impact the quality of life for our brothers and sisters.”
“Your congressional office stands ready to provide whatever assistance we might, in order to facilitate a temporary solution to this emerging crisis,” Sablan said.
