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StarKist Samoa closing for 3 weeks, not usual 2-week annual shutdown

Points to lack of space, including freezer capacity as one of the reasons
fili@samoanews.com

US based StarKist Co., has confirmed that its StarKist Samoa cannery’s annual shutdown at the end of the year will be for three weeks, instead of the usual two weeks, as the territory’s largest private employer continues to “experience volatility” at its Atu’u-based plant.

Local industry officials told Samoa News late last month and early this month that not only is StarKist Samoa to shutdown for one week during Thanksgiving week, but it was also adding another week in the usually end of the year two-week shutdown next month.

The officials couldn’t pinpoint the specific reasons for the longer shutdown at the end of the year, but pointed out that the three-week shut down means additional loss of income for StarKist Samoa cannery workers as well as businesses, such as nearby stores, and aiga buses, which cater to the company.

Last week StarKist confirmed that StarKist Samoa will shutdown for one-week beginning yesterday and production resumes next week, Monday, Nov. 28.

The company’s corporate spokesperson Michelle Faist said yesterday that StarKist Samoa typically shuts down for two-days over the Thanksgiving holiday, but this year, the cannery needed to shut down operations for one-week.

“In the coming months, we have our standard two-week closure in December, but made the difficult decision to remain closed the first week of January as well,” Faist said in a statement yesterday. “StarKist Samoa continues to experience volatility in its plant operations, and much of the strain is due to limited space.”

“The lack of space is having a negative impact on our business and our workers,” she said.

Responding to Samoa News questions on further information on limited space, and if the space includes land for a freezer storage facility, Faist said additional space is needed for various reasons. “However, land for a freezer space is necessary in order for us to make the StarKist Samoa plant a more efficient, sustainable operation,” she said.

Faist also said that the StarKist chief executive officer traveled to American Samoa in March to “discuss land-lease options and we are continuing to work with the local government to finalize a lease agreement.

“We are not aware of any issues related to these discussions and hope to come to American Samoa in January to officially sign a lease agreement and move forward with this initiative,” she said.

StarKist had shutdown production for one-week last month due to a fish supply shortage. Faist said at the time that limited capability and the lack of space to expand the freezer have negatively impacted the company’s operational efficiency over the years.

Commerce Department director Keniseli Lafaele, who is also the ASG Shipyard Service Authority board chairman told Samoa News last month that the shipyard and StarKist have held discussions regarding StarKist’s need for extra freezer space and that a suitable location has to be determined. He also said that a possible location has been discussed but nothing is firm yet.

Samoa News understands that these discussions are ongoing.