Saving Seafood

Congresswoman Pushes US To Support Its Seiners

November 18, 2019 — “Fishing forms the backbone of our local economy,” said Republican Congresswoman, Aumua Amata Radewagen, speaking at the opening of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council’s (WPRFMC) 180th meeting in Pago Pago, American Samoa. Radewagen is a delegate for the U.S. House of Representatives from American Samoa. The sustainable future of the nations purse seine fishery was also the issue in Lt. Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga’s speech in which he referred to the importance of fishing for the livelihood of the island.

Radewagen mentioned that US purse seiners pay annually up to USD 2 million per vessel to have access to foreign EEZ’s for fishing. Due to marine national monument regulations, these parts of US EEZ’s are now closed for purse seiners.

The seiner fleet provides skipjack and yellowfin tuna for the American Samoa-based cannery owned by StarKist Samoa Co. The fleet has exceeded the limit of fishing days in 2018 and therefore by US regulations, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced the closure on October 1, whereby US-flagged vessels have no access to the fishing grounds within the nations’ EEZ which also includes the waters around American Samoa.

The Congresswoman finds it her priority to get the lifting of the fishing closure within the Marine parks – which is still recommended by the US Interior Department – onto President Trump’s agenda. From her perspective, the latest negotiations for the South Pacific Tuna Treaty between the US and the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) nations went backward when 700 fewer fishing days were agreed.

According to a report by the American Samoa Department of Commerce, the Pago Pago cannery provides 25 percent of the territory’s jobs and effectively subsidizes the cost of freight and fuel to American Samoa. If it should shut down, it would be a USD 200 million loss annually to the local economy.

Actually, most employees of StarKist’s American Samoa processing plant are inhabitants of the neighboring country, Samoa, located 137 miles away from American Samoa.

US-flagged purse seiners are owned by US entities and a minority by foreign companies. Only the South Pacific albacore longlining fleet is in American Samoan hands. The reduction of that fleet – that targets albacore – to 13 vessels while China enlarged its fleet is something Radewagen is concerned about. In her view, the US should constantly be active and engaged in the Pacific region and monitor foreign actions that affect the domestic fleet.

Read the full story at Atuna

Lt. Governor, Congresswoman, Territory Commerce Department Stress Importance of Fisheries to the U.S. Territory of American Samoa

October 24, 2019 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:

“Fisheries sustains our livelihoods in all aspects of our lives” was the core message that reverberated through the remarks of Lt. Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga, who opened the 180th meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council yesterday in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

Congresswoman Aumua Amata Radewagen’s opening remarks echoed those of the Lt. Governor. “Fishing has sustained us for our entire history,” she said. “Fishing forms the backbone of our local economy.” She noted that the U.S. purse-seine fleet, which provides tuna to the American Samoa-based cannery, pays up to $2 million annually per vessel in access fees to fish in foreign exclusive economic zone (EEZ) waters. Restoring the ability of U.S. fishermen to access U.S. EEZ waters that are now closed due to marine national monument regulations “remains the Interior Department’s clear recommendation,” she added. “It is my priority to get this important decision onto the President’s agenda.” She said that the Chinese longline fleet has soared to more than 500 and now catches 45 percent of the South Pacific albacore, while the American Samoa longline fleet has dropped from 60 vessels to 13 active vessels. “The US must be alert to the actions of China, monitor how that affects our fleet, and be constantly active and engaged in the Pacific region,” she said.

Mike McDonald from the American Samoa Department of Commerce provided a report on the importance of the cannery to the American Samoa gross domestic product (GDP). According to the report, if the cannery were to shut down it would be a $200 million loss annually, which represents one third of the Territory’s GDP. The report said the cannery provides 25 percent of the territory’s jobs and effectively subsidizes the cost of freight and fuel to American Samoa, as the cost of both would be significantly more if that cannery were not in the Territory.

Va’amua Henry Sesepasara, director of the Territory’s Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR), reviewed fishery development and fishery data collection efforts.

Based in part from recommendations by the Council’s American Samoa Advisory Panel and Regional Ecosystem Advisory Committee, the Council voted to work with DMWR to improve its data collection, to assist with outreach to fishing communities and to work with the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Commerce to support ecosystem modeling on climate change impacts. At the request of the Territory’s Commerce Department, the Council will also write a letter of support to the US Economic Development Administration for the alia tele, also known as the Super Alia. Based on the traditional double-hull fishing vessel design but larger in size, the alia tele will have the capacity to fish further from shore using multiple gear types.

The Council recommended that DMWR expedite its fishery development projects, provide a plan to improve its fishery data program and meet with the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa to address concerns of Aunu’u chiefs regarding enforcement of Sanctuary rules and other important issues.

The 180th Council meeting will continue through Thursday at the Tauese P. F. Sunia Ocean Center in Utulei, American Samoa. For more info, go to http://www.wpcouncil.org/public-meetings/ or contact the Council at info@wpcouncil.org or at +1 (808) 522-8220.

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council: Secretary of Commerce appointees from American Samoa, CNMI, Guam and Hawai’i governor nominees: Archie Soliai, StarKist (American Samoa) (chair); John Gourley, Micronesian Environmental Services (CNMI vice chair); Michael Duenas, Guam Fishermen’s Cooperative Association (Guam vice chair); Edwin Watamura, Waialua Boat Club (Hawai’I vice chair); Howard Dunham, American Samoa Alia Fishing Association (American Samoa); Monique Genereux, business owner (Guam); Michael Goto, United Fishing Agency (Hawai’i); McGrew Rice, charter boat captain (CNMI). Designated state officials: Raymond Roberto, CNMI Dept. of Lands and Natural Resources; Suzanne Case, Hawai’i Dept. of Land & Natural Resources; Chelsa Muña-Brecht, Guam Dept. of Agriculture; Henry Sesepasara, American Samoa Dept. of Marine & Wildlife Resources. Federal officials (voting): Michael Tosatto, NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office. Federal officials (non-voting): RADM Kevin Lunday, USCG 14th District; Michael Brakke, US State Dept.; Brian Peck, USFWS.

Congress passes fishing bill giving more say to American Samoa

September 19th, 2016 — The US House of Representatives has approved legislation giving American Samoa more say in fisheries management in the western Pacific.

Our correspondent says the Ensuring Access to Pacific Fisheries bill passed easily.

It had been sponsored by American Samoa’s Congresswoman, Aumua Amata Radewagen, who described it to the House.

“I am proud to say that this bill does exactly what the title suggests. It ensures our fishermen’s access to fisheries in international waters where we set the example for the rest of the world on how to best manage and conserve the ocean’s resources,” she said.

Aumua said the Obama Administration had closed off large swathes of the Pacific that have been used by American Samoans for centuries, while imposing irresponsible wage hikes on industry.

The Congresswoman said people testified on the bill that science had taken a back seat to geopolitics in fisheries negotiations with American Samoan fishermen, especially those after big eye tuna, paying the price.

Read the full story from Radio New Zealand