Speaking on behalf of her clients, the Council of Treaty Chiefs For Tutuila, Aunu'u and Manu'a and the Council of District Governors, attorney Marie A. Alailima says that her clients are pleased with the recent decision of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council to postpone the decision on the Large Vessel Prohibited Area proposal that would temporarily lift the ban on local longliners to fish in these areas, and to hold further public hearings on the matter.

“The need for more meaningful public hearings and discussions that could reach more of the Samoan speaking public in villages and outer islands beyond Tutuila was one of the objections raised by the two chiefly councils in their petition to WPRFMC,” Alailima told Samoa News.

“Both the Council of Treaty Chiefs and Council of District Governors very much appreciate and would like to thank Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga for his support in this matter.  Also, many thanks to the Office of Samoan Affairs, county chiefs and pulenu’u who joined together in supporting the joint petition to WPRFMC, she said.

Until further discussions and public hearings are held with American Samoa officials and representatives, the Council has “deferred action” on a proposal to provide a temporary exemption for longliners to fish within portions of the territory’s Large Vessel Prohibited Area (LVPA), according to a Council news release more than a week ago.

The Council’s decision was made Jun 27 at the completion of its three-day meeting in Honolulu, where they also recommended that, among other things, the American Samoa National Marine Sanctuary program complete a study to identify direct economic benefits of the Sanctuary to American Samoa.

The Council will reconsider the LVPA at its next meeting, Oct. 20-23, 2014, in Honolulu,” the release says.

Two public hearings were held in the territory in May this year on the LVPA issue and there was strong opposition from alia owners and others in the community. Then two weeks ago, the Council Of Treaty Chiefs of Tutuila, Aunu’u, and Manu’a and the Council of District Governors of American Samoa in a June 17 Joint Statement to the Council strongly opposed any action on the LVPA.

The LVPA request to lift the ban temporarily was proposed by the local longliner owners, who cited economic hardship as the major reason.

A fisheries official has told Samoa News that the opening of a cannery in Samoa has opened up the market for the local longliners, including possible access to Samoa’s fishing grounds to support the Samoa cannery.

(See June 30th edition of Samoa News for more details.)