No Change in Samoa Tuna Processors Schedule for Now

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Tri Marine International, owners of Samoa Tuna Processors, hasn’t announced any changes to its production schedule.

But company spokesperson Heidi Happonen tells KHJ News they are carefully considering fish supply shortages and other market challenges at this time.

Other than that she said Tri Marine has no news to report about any decisions.

She was answering our questions on whether Samoa Tuna Processors is affected by the fish supply shortage that has forced their neighbor StarKist Samoa to close down for a week.

The closure is for the whole week beginning October 10.

StarKist official Michelle Faist said in a statement that the shutdown is due to a fish supply shortage.

She  says limited freezer capability and the lack of space to expand the freezer have negatively impacted StarKist Samoa’s  operational efficiency over the years.

When he last visited the territory in April, StarKist President and CEO, Mr. Andrew Choe, said the cannery  critically needs more fish storage space to ensure a constant and stable supply of fish.

The cannery currently has a 5,000 metric ton freezer which can hold enough fish to last ten production days.

But Mr. Choe said with less certainty in boats calling into port to deliver fish, increasing the cannery’s cold storage capacity is more critical now than ever before.

Mr Choe pressed the need for increased cold storage with Governor Lolo Moliga during his April visit and he walked through the shipyard at Satala, one of the sites under consideration for the cannery storage.

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