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Port Administration schedules captains course

Port Administration director Taimalelagi Dr. Claire Poumele
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Department of Port Administration, in partnership with the Hawaii Maritime Licensing Center, has scheduled a four-week Captains Course to be held from Sept. 4-8 for individuals who want to pursue a career as a Master of ships up to 200 tons.

Opened to the public, the Captains Courses for Masters 200 tons, Masters 100 tons, Operators of Un-inspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV) also known as 6-Pack, are fully approved U.S. Coast Guard Courses, according to Port Administration’s notice published in Samoa News over the last two weeks.

According to the announcement, a test is mandatory for this program and no additional Coast Guard exams are required. Additionally, successful completion of the course will earn the person a certificate that can be submitted to the Coast Guard along with other relevant mariner documentation for a U.S. Captain’s License.

Port Administration director Taimalelagi Dr. Claire Poumele told Samoa News three months ago of the planned course - open to the public - after questions were raised about the availability of the course to community members during a meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Agency in March this year.

Taimalelagi said Port has “about seven Seamen Able that would qualify to test for the next level, which would be Captain”. Two local instructors that are certified to teach the courses are Captain Lafoga Alovao and Fifita Siua, who is a Master Journeyman.

More information can be obtained by calling Capt. Alovao at 770-5777 or 770-5234.

Meanwhile, Samoa News has received information that three officials with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be conducting an inspection and a review of the Pago Pago International Airport from Aug. 24-29.

Responding to Samoa News inquiries, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor confirmed this past Tuesday that this is the FAA’s “standard annual inspection that we do at every commercial service airport in the U.S.”