Honolulu-based Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council is assisting alia boat owners on the island-village of Aunu’u, whose waters are boasted to be some of the best for bottom fishing in American Samoa, to kick-start its fishery.

This was revealed in the American Samoa Community Activities and Issues Report, which also made the revelation that fishermen are required to pay a fee upfront — for example, 25 cents per pound for bottom fish — to sell their catch at the Fagatogo Market Place fish market.

The American Samoa report is prepared in advance of the Council’s 169th Meeting set for Mar. 22 at the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu. 

AUNU’U ICE PLANT

Part of the report provides a “Status of Aunu’u Ice Plant”, saying that during the Council’s meeting in American Samoa in October 2015, Council members and staff visited Aunu’u where they engaged chiefs and discussed the village’s efforts to develop its small boat fishery.

“The waters around Aunu’u Island boast some of the best bottom fishing in the entire territory, and due to the island’s isolation from... Tutuila, the residents depend on the fish caught by the villagers who own alia boats,” according to the report, which also revealed that the village has been in the process of organizing its fishing efforts, establishing an association of alia fishermen, and requesting assistance in building needed infrastructure.

Continuing to assist American Samoa in the development of the small boat fishery, the Council says it will be assisting the small island, providing a commercial grade flake icemaker for the island to assist its alia fishermen; and will deliver it and set it up, where it will be housed near the Aunu’u Marina boat ramp.

The icemaker is to be managed and maintained by the village leadership through a memorandum of agreement between the Council, the village chiefs, and the Aunu’u alia fishermen.

“Providing this icemaker for the island of Aunu’u is yet another small boat fisheries development investment by the Council for American Samoa,” the report said and cited examples of previous Council funded projects in the territory such as the fish market at the Fagatogo Market Place, providing fuel and ice facilities in the Manu’a Islands for the alia fishery, which developed a super alia concept with a training program and lending scheme, and provided fuel vouchers to the alia fishing tournament.

Rep. Kiatara Vaiau of Saole County, which includes Aunu’u, has worked closely with the Council’s contractor in American Samoa to discuss the level of need and look at options for an ice making solution that best suits the island of Aunu’u and its people, the report states.

Vaiau, an alia fisherman, expressed gratitude for the Council’s support of the island’s fisheries development efforts.

FISH MARKET

The report also provided an update on the fish market, which has been renovated to make it more sales-friendly, with glass display cases, walk-in refrigerator and freezer, a preparation area with stainless steel counters and a wash down sink, and a commercial grade table saw to cut large fish.

The fish market “unfortunately has not been utilized as it was initially envisioned — a cooperative for American Samoa fishermen” and the Commerce Department, which oversees the fish market has tried two different methods of operating the market — private owner management and government operated.

However, two different fishermen have operated the fish market with limited success, both “operators citing high operating costs required” by DOC as the reason for ending their management.

A third manager, locally based Tautai o Samoa Longline and Fishing Association rescinded its proposal early last year, due to DOC insistence on a nearly $2,000 monthly rent, a million dollar insurance policy requirement, and a stipulation that only fresh fish could be sold in the market, the report says.

DOC has now opted to manage the market itself, negotiating directly with fishermen to sell their catch at the Market. DOC fishery coordinator Tamatoa Tony Langkilde is quoted in the report saying that fishermen who sell their fish at the fish market are required to pay an upfront fee of $0.25 per pound for bottom fish they bring into the market to sell, and $0.15 per pound for pelagic fish.

“The fish market has been mostly closed in recent months, and has not become the market hub it was originally expected to be,” the report says.

Samoa News reported last November that although the fish market has reopened, DOC in conjunction with the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources has continued the “fresh fish open market”, where more local fishermen can sell a variety of fish species to the public on Saturdays.

“The fresh fish open market gives the opportunity to all our local fishermen to sell their catch to the public, who are very appreciative of this venue to check out a variety of fish species,” Tamatoa told Samoa News at the time.

The open fish market, at the market place parking lot is held on two Saturdays a month. (See Samoa News edition Nov. 7, 2016 for details.)