44 POLLING STATIONS FOR 2016 ELECTION

Chief election officer Uiagalelei Dr. Lealaofi Uiagalelei has released the official list of the forty-four polling stations territory-wide for the Nov. 8th general election. The chief election officer is required by law to designate and announce polling stations before Election Day.

As in past election years, the polling stations are mostly church halls and Samoan guest fale of chiefs in villages.

Manu’a voters on Tutuila are able to cast ballots at designated locations on Tutuila. Voters for Manu’a District #1 (Faleasao, Fitiuta and Ta’u) on Tutuila will cast ballots at the CCCAS Talalelei church hall while Manu’a District #2 (Ofu, Olosega/Sili) voters will cast ballots on Tutuila at the CCCAS Petesa Tai church hall.

Polling stations will open for 12 hours starting at 6a.m. and voters in American Samoa will cast ballots for the gubernatorial, Congressional and local House of Representative races.

See yesterday’s Samoa News edition for the complete list of polling stations, published as an advertisement. And the list will be published with the online version of this story on www.samoanews.com

Meanwhile, the Election Office reminds all registered voters who have not picked up their voter ID, to do so and that only the elector is allowed to pick up his/ her voter ID and no one else.

Election officials say that many electors have registered and have taken their photo for the voter ID, but have not returned to pick up their voter ID.

LOCAL RESIDENT CONTACT POINT FOR UN-ESCAP

Disability advocate and local resident, Tafaimamao Tua-Tupuola has been nominated to be the American Samoa-Civil Society Organization (CSO) focal point for the United Nations-Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

Tua-Tupuola said over the weekend that she has submitted her letter of acceptance and will be working with local agencies in collecting information for the UN-ESCAP for the upcoming January midpoint review of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities.

Agencies and non-profit organizations, family members, and people with disabilities who would like to participate in the survey are asked to contact Tua-Tupuola at ucedd@amsamoa.edu or call 699-7061.

Director of the University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities at ASCC, Tua-Tupuola was informed early last week of her nomination by Tyler Kretzschmar, the Social Affairs Consultant of the Social Development Division United Nations ESCAP. She lhas accepted the nomination.

According to the UN’s ESCAP, the midpoint review provides an opportunity to take stock of the achievements, challenges and lessons through gathering valuable information from Governments, CSOs and other development organizations on their efforts to promote disability-inclusive development in Asia and the Pacific.

NOAA SAYS LOCAL LONGLINER SETTLED ILLEGAL FISHING CITATION

The US National Oceania and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of General Counsel (OGC) has settled an illegal fishing fine with an American Samoa-based fishing vessel while the federal agency is currently prosecuting two cases of fishing vessels for illegal fishing in the exclusive economic zone of neighboring Samoa.

The enforcement work of NOAA-OGC was outlined in an Oct. 7 report from NOAA Pacific islands enforcement attorney Duane Smith to the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

According to the report, the Enforcement section resolved seven Pacific Islands’ regional cases and one of them deals with the fishing vessel Fetuolemoana, whose owner and operator was charged with three counts under the federal Magnuson‐Stevens Act for conducting commercial fishing in the Rose Atoll National Marine Monument — which is closed to commercial fishing.

The F/V Fetuolemoana was then issued a NOVA (a proposed civil fine) of $49,012. On July 6, 2016, respondents admitted liability and agreed to pay a compromise civil penalty of $26,500, according to the NOAA-OGC report.

The report also says that the Enforcement section is currently prosecuting nine cases from the Pacific Islands Region including two for allegedly illegal fishing in the EEZ of Samoa without that nation’s permission.

In one case, the F/V Rising Phoenix II is charged with one count and assessed a total penalty of $52,217. The other case involves F/V Holly whose owner and operator is charged with two counts and has been assessed total penalty of $172,270.

Another US vessel, Capt D, is charged with one count of noncommercial fishing in Tokelau’s EEZ without that nation’s permission and assessed a penalty of $1,000.