
The MV Manu’atele will be making a special trip to Samoa this weekend to bring workers for StarKist Samoa.
The Lady Samoa is not available to make trips to American Samoa for two weeks because it is providing a charter to the Cook Islands.
StarKist Samoa management has confirmed that they have requested the Governor for the MV Manu’atele to travel to Apia to bring some of the workers who hadn’t returned after the holidays, and also new hires for the cannery.
While the cannery chartered Lady Samoa to take and bring back employees to Samoa for the holidays, not everyone returned on the special sailing after the New Year holiday.
The cannery will also be bringing new hires from Samoa on the Manu’atele. The trip to Apia is scheduled for Sunday, and return on Tuesday.
Director of Port Administration Falenaoti Loi On Fruean told a Senate hearing Wednesday morning that the Governor has approved the StarKist request for the Manu’atele to make the trip.
Senator Malaepule Saite Moliga, the chairman of the Senate Transportation and Port Committee advised the Director to make sure that all of the requirements for the vessel to make an international voyage are in place.
In 2019, the MV Manu’aatele traveled to Samoa to take and bring back teams to the Pacific Games held in Apia.