Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — U.S based StarKist Co., owner of StarKist Samoa cannery, has called on the U.S. National Marines Fisheries Service (NMFS) to ensure that all future specifications and conservation measures for longline fishing “do not adversely impact the economic viability of American Samoa.”

This is according to StarKist’s Nov. 12th comment letter from the company’s president and chief executive officer, Andrew Choe, to NMFS which is proposing a year 2022 limit of 2,000 metric tons of longline-caught bigeye tuna for each U.S. Pacific territory of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

In the public notice posted on the federal portal (www.regulations.gov), NMFS said it would allow each territory to allocate up to 1,500 metric tons to U.S. longline fishing vessels through specified fishing agreements that meet established criteria.

However, the overall allocation limit among all territories may not exceed 3,000 t. As an accountability measure, NMFS would monitor, attribute, and restrict — if necessary — catches of longline-caught bigeye tuna, including catches made under a specified fishing agreement.

According to NMFS, the proposed catch limits and accountability measures would support the long-term sustainability of fishery resources of the U.S. Pacific Islands. Comments were due by Nov. 12th.

Choe, in his letter to, Michael D. Tosatto, who is the Regional Administrator of NMFS Pacific Islands Region, noted that “StarKist is deeply invested in the economic viability of American Samoa, which is a small island developing territory that is highly dependent on tuna fishing to support its economy.”

Choe shared with Tosatto background on the company as well as the important role StarKist Samoa plays in the local economy. He also provided a summary of background information on the territory’s tuna industry, saying that the protection of the tuna industry is paramount to economic health of American Samoa.

“Unfortunately, American Samoa’s tuna industry has suffered dramatic losses over the past few decades that have only escalated in recent years,” he said and cited for example, that in 2015, there were 40 U.S. flagged tuna purse seiners operating in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) area.

Today, he said, that number has dwindled to a mere 14 vessels. Moreover, with the Chicken of the Sea cannery closure in 2009 and the Tri Marine closures in 2016, StarKist now operates the single remaining cannery in American Samoa.

“This threatens the very core of the American Samoa economy centered around the tuna cannery in Pago Pago, and the related ancillary businesses and services,” Choe said.

NMFS was also informed that a variety of economic and regulatory factors have contributed to the “precipitous decline” of the tuna fishing and canning industry in the territory.  And Samoa News notes that factors cited by Choe have been raised by the company, local fishing fleet and the previous Administrations.

“One leading factor is that, despite American Samoa having recognition under the WCPFC Convention as a Small Island Developing State (SID), U.S. flag purse seiners operating out of Pago Pago do not enjoy SID benefits,” Choe explained.

“Though they currently fly under U.S. flag, these vessels are home ported in Pago Pago, deliver to the StarKist cannery, and support the jobs and livelihoods not only of the cannery workers, but also support a full range of ancillary businesses and services that operate to sustain the cannery and the fleet,” he continued.

He said that recognizing the vessels based in Pago Pago in some capacity as an American Samoa fleet could provide critical relief by removing the high seas constraints placed on the fleet by the WCPFC and NMFS’ Effort Limit Area for Purse Seine (ELAPS) rules.

“StarKist strongly supports efforts to ameliorate this issue, and thus to provide relief for both longline fishing and jig fishing U.S. flag vessels in the WCPFC area,” he said.

IMPACT OF NMFS PROPOSAL

According to Choe, StarKist, along with the entire American Samoa tuna industry, greatly appreciate NMFS’ continued dedication to conservation in the Pacific Island Region and support for the islands’ tuna industry.

As to the proposed year 2022 specifications — identical to the previous annual specifications since 2014 — Choe said that though StarKist welcomes the proposed limits, more broadly, NMFS should continue to ensure that all future specifications and conservation measures do not further contribute to the decline of the American Samoa tuna industry.

Relatedly, StarKist supports NMFS action to relieve some of the broader factors contributing to the tuna industry’s recent decline, especially potential relief from ELAPS high seas constraints,” he wrote to NMFS.

“As a SID state, it is critical that American Samoa vessels flying under U.S. flag enjoy the same exemptions granted to all non-territory SIDs under the WCPFC Convention,” he points out.

In conclusion, he said, “StarKist looks forward to working with NMFS to protect and cultivate the tuna industry in American Samoa”.

Details of the NMFS Propose Specification and others commenters, are online at: www.regualtions.gov