Bermuda International Shipping Ltd. marked its 1,000th voyage yesterday — but the future may not look so bright as it remains unclear if Hamilton's cargo docks will be moved.

Over the years Henry Hayward, president of BISL's shipping agent Meyer Freight, has seen many changes in the shipping industry, but said a move away from the current site on Front Street could lead to problems for the Island's importers and ultimately affect what's on residents' dinner tables.

"I think any proposal to move the cargo docks out of Hamilton is a bad idea," he said.

"People really take it for granted that BISL's ship the Bermuda Islander arrives in every Thursday full of goods in time for the weekend. The system works like clockwork.

"The minute we know when the container ship is due to arrive we send an e-mail alert to all the importers updating them. Then the ship pulls into Hamilton, is unloaded and trucks arrive to take the cargo. Any delay in that process will mean goods will not arrive in shops in time for the weekend.

"Approximately 85 percent of the goods in our containers stay within 2.5 miles of the dock. Everything we use is shipped in from swimming pools to horses to the food we eat."

Mr. Hayward said Government was currently looking at the cost of moving the dock from Front Street to a location on North Shore, Southside or the former US Naval Annex in Southampton. None of the options are ideal, Mr. Hayward said.

"With Southside and the Naval Annex, that will really increase the number of large trucks on Bermuda's roads and it will increase the amount of time it takes to get goods from the ship to the clients.

"And the location on North Shore, while at the back end of town and closer to our importers, is not ideal either. In the winter the winds on the North Shore are very bad and this will cause problems. The rough conditions will most likely delay the ship by a day or two at times throughout the winter. And a delay of a day or two is rather big."

Since BISL was started by Bermudians in 1984 it has worked hard to ensure goods arrive on the Island every week, Mr. Hayward said. Very rarely has it missed a shipment. One of the reasons it is so diligent is many of its shareholders are some of the Island's leading merchants and therefore have a vested interest in ensuring goods reach shop shelves.

Past BISL president E. Llewellyn Petty said: "For 23 years, BISL has had the honour to serve the needs of the Island's businesses. Throughout the years, BISL has changed and grown in direct response to the strength of Bermuda's local economy."

One of the changes was its arrival date. Initially, the ship came bearing goods on Mondays, like other cargo vessels. However, that changed in 1998 at the request of importers who wanted a staggered arrival schedule and the ability to provide Bermudians with fresh produce for their weekend shopping.

Another change Mr. Hayward noted was the sheer volume of demand in Bermuda. BISL's inaugural voyage 23 years ago carried 73 containers. On its milestone voyage yesterday it brought in 181 containers. On average, approximately a quarter of the containers in a shipment are refrigerated to keep food fresh on the 54-hour journey from New Jersey.

Business has been so good, due to the rising standard of living in Bermuda, that the company recently invested in a new, substantially larger and upgraded terminal.

The Ministry of Transport did not respond to a request for information about the proposed move of the docks.