Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Commerce Department has launched promotion and a public awareness campaign for the super alia vessel, which is part of the Lolo administration’s efforts to boost local fishery development and provide new employment, while DOC is hopeful they will soon secure funding to start building the prototype model.

Promotion for the super alia began last month during the 2018 Business Festival, which was an event leading up to Flag Day 2018, and colored brochures have already been printed touting ASG’s “Smart Technology” — the “Alia Tele - Super Alia, Future Commercial Fishing Vessel.”

The brochure, which summarizes the major aspects of the new vessel, notes that the “Alia Tele” design and marketing is funded by US Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs.

“What we’re doing with DOI now is promoting this new concept of the local fishing industry to upgrade it to modern conditions,” said DOC fishery development coordinator, Tamatoa Tony Langkilde, in a Samoa News interview late last week.

“So this whole alia is a new concept of this administration to change the way of local fishing from the small size alia that we presently use; and we have been using that fishing boat for the last 30 to 40 years,” he said, and reconfirmed that design of the vessel has already been completed by Washington State boat builder Armstrong Brothers.

He also says the super alia is part of Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga’s vision to improve local fisheries and to provide more jobs.

Responding to Samoa News inquiries, DOC director Keniseli Lafaele said over the weekend that the DOI/OIA grant funding, which was received in May 2015, totaled $65,745. Lafaele explained that Tamatoa is charged with conducting public awareness efforts about the features of the super alia, its capacity as a fishing vessel; and selling the idea of owning/ operating super alias to the local fishermen.

According to the DOC director, the vessel’s design was completed sometime in late 2015 or early 2016. “The super alia design, once received, was given to local boat builders to review and give cost quotes and was also shown to regular alia boat owners and fishermen in meetings held,” Lafaele explained.

“But the cost of the super alia — about $350,000 without fishing gear — was the issue with most if not all of the small alia fishermen,” he said.

Tamatoa said that the ASG/DOC is “putting the word out that its time to change the way we fish” through the new 40-foot super alia, “the future of commercial fishing vessel” in the territory and this boat can be out fishing from three to 7 days, it’s safe, it can go 400 miles out in the ocean and can accommodate up to 4 fishermen.

Tamatoa pointed out that this is a “multi purpose fishing method boat” — meaning it can do long-lining fishing and bottom-fish fishing.

The super alia “will also satisfy the demand of local consumers. And it will create a new export product, which is high-end fresh fish — to Hawai’i and the US mainland. Therefore, it would be new earned income for our territory,” he said.

With promoting and public awareness ongoing, Tamatoa continues to look for funding to build and purchase the first prototype.

Lafaele told Samoa News two months ago that DOC has been looking for federal grants without much success to build a prototype model.

Asked if there has been any success yet in securing funding to build a prototype model, Lafaele responded that, “efforts to secure federal funds or other sources to build a prototype super alia vessel have been unsuccessful so far. Tamatoa is heading this effort and he's hopeful he will be successful one day.”

Samoa News also asked if ASG/DOC is still looking at the American Samoa Venture Fund program, which is funded by the US Treasury’s Small State Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), as a funding mechanism for people who want a super alia or has ASG identified another funding source?  Samoa News notes that the super alia brochure clearly states that the “financial mechanism [is] provided by ASG.”

“Yes, the American Samoa Venture Fund is available for people to fund the construction of their super alia.  A couple of people are looking into this opportunity,” was Lafaele’s reply.

Additionally, “People do not need to wait until ASG builds a prototype and conducts training; if they qualify for funding through the ASVF program, they can build their boats and go fishing — employ some people and make some money,” he points out.

BACKGROUND

As previously reported by Samoa News, although SSBCI no longer exists — as of Sept. 27, 2017 — the $3.5 million already drawn down for the local program can still be used.

This new alia project, one of several local fishery projects initiated by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, was in response to requests from fishermen in American Samoa for an updated, safer alia design capable of making longer, farther trips with larger catches.