ST. JOHN’S, Nfld. — The Port of St. John’s experienced a successful cargo handling year in 2001, primarily due to the port’s private-sector partners.

“For the third consecutive year, commercial activity in the port surpassed the one-million-tonne mark,” says Sean Hanrahan, president and CEO of the St. John’s Port Authority.

He says general cargo – components of which include trailers containerized cargo, break bulk and automobiles – continued to be the single largest sector within the port, at 49.5 per cent of the total cargo handled.

Liquid bulk represented 42.6 per cent of the total.

“Leading the growth in 2001 was the handling of dry bulk cargo – a combination of barite, bentonite, cement, salt and fish species – which showed an increase of 28.6 per cent over 2000,” Hanrahan says.

“Significant contributors to the increase in this sector were a 61 per cent increase in the movement of salt and a 16.6 per cent increase in fish handling.”

There was a 4.3 per cent growth in containerized traffic.

The port will continue as a leading catalyst for commercial development in Newfoundland and Labrador and the authority is looking forward to another great year in 2002, Hanrahan says.

The 2001 financial statements show net earnings of $516,000 on revenue of $3.5 million. Capital expenditure last year amounted to $7.5 million.