Pacific Island Leaders Welcome Jobs at Local Canneries

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The employment of Pacific islanders in the American Samoa tuna industry was commended in a statement form the just concluded annual meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum leaders

The meeting welcomed .the development focus of the revised US Pacific Tuna Treaty and urged the US Government to promote US investment in the Pacific island countries’ tuna industry and encourage greater employment opportunities of Pacific island nationals, including as fishing crew and in processing plants in American Samoa.”

A memorandum of agreement signed between Tri Marine International and Tokelau in 2014 states that the company’s fishing boats are allowed to fish in Tokelau waters and Tri Marine will provide jobs for the people of Tokelau on fishing boats and at its local cannery Samoa Tuna Processors.

In other cannery news, Ian Boatwood who was one of the key people who set up the STP plant. Is now Director of Engineering for Tri Marine.

Tri Marine spokespson Heidi Happonen says Boatwood will have oversight of engineering matters for all of Tri Marine’s processing facilities and be a source of technical expertise for the Tri Marine Group.

He will also provide engineering expertise for Samoa Tuna Processors (STP) where he was project manager from 2010-2015, including active involvement in the plant’s major redesign. He will report to Tri Marine’s COO, Joe Hamby.

Ian is originally from New Zealand and has worked in the tuna industry for 35 years.

Also Enzo Mitrovic, Tri Marine’s senior technical manager, has been assigned temporarily to the position of Plant Manager for STP where he will be responsible for operations of the plant.

Enzo has been with Tri Marine for 27 years and is well-known in the industry for his tuna processing expertise. He will report to Fa’afoi Palepua, General Manager of STP.

Enzo was born in Naples, Italy and has been working in the tuna industry for almost fifty years.

Bruce Bishop recently joined STP as Controller.

Happonen says Bruce has a broad business experience in finance and accounting especially with international manufacturing companies, including 14 years with Monsanto.

He has a MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.

Bruce will report to General Manager of STP Fa’afoi Palepua.

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