The US State Department insists it’s doing everything possible to achieve viable fishing access terms for American Samoa’s tuna industry. KHJ News Washington D.C. correspondent Matt Kaye reports—
A State Department official insists the US is doing everything it can to preserve American Samoa’s tuna industry…and American Samoa has a ‘direct voice’ in ongoing negotiations.
The statement came the same day, the National Marine Fisheries Service published a final rule to amend the Large Vessel Prohibited Area and allow local longline vessels to fish within 12-miles off shore—a move opposed by Governor Lolo, Fono leaders and American Samoa’s recreational fishermen.
The State Department official, speaking on background, says the United States recognizes the tuna industry, including two canneries and the vessels that supply them, are “very important to the economy of American Samoa.”
The official says, that’s one reason “we are so concerned about the potential long-term impacts of continuing within flexible and unviable models of fishing access,” under the South Pacific Tuna Treaty.
The US recently served notice it is pulling out of the treaty, but the official…not authorized to speak publicly on the record…says the US is “making every effort” to reach a mutually acceptable “understanding” with the Pacific Island Parties.
The parties “have not yet accepted our proposal” to revise fishing access terms for 2016…nor offered an ”alternative compromise” to resolve the current impasse.
The US said earlier, the 2016 price of more than $11,000 a day, up from $5,000 a day in 2014, is unaffordable.
Responding to concerns by American Samoa officials about lack of direct participation in talks, the State Department official says the US “invited American Samoa to join the US delegation” in the three negotiation sessions last year.
The official insists, quoting, “participation on the delegation involves direct participation in the negotiations.”
The official concludes, “The way in which US vessels operate in the region may change…over this transitional period…but fishing vessels will likely continue to supply and sustain American Samoa canneries.”
Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat Program reported recently, the US fleet is facing a ‘perfect storm’– low fish prices, a hike in the minimum wage and its boats locked out of the exclusive economic zones of Pacific nations because they reneged on a deal to buy fishing days.
