Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga argues that the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council should have first fixed the fishing boats in the territory before spending money on fishery development for things like ice machines in the Manu’a island group.

The governor, who is still at odds with the Council for recommending that the federal government approve reduction of the Large Vessel Protected Area (LVPA) from 50 to 12 miles, made the argument during last Tuesday’s federal Interagency Group on Insular Area (IGIA) meeting at the White House. 

Earlier in the three-hour IGIA meeting at the White House, Lolo voiced his disappointment over federal policies impacting American Samoa’s economic development. For example the US Commerce Department’s fisheries service pushed for and got the LVPA reduction, despite objections from local leaders and residents. (See Samoa News edition Feb. 23.)

About an hour later, the Council’s executive director Kitty Simonds, who was on the panel of federal agencies, made her presentation and she emphasized the importance of fisheries to American Samoa with two canneries based here. (See Samoa News edition Feb. 26) Simonds, however, didn’t touch on the LVPA issue.

When the governors of the territories were given the chance to ask Simonds questions, Lolo said that what Simonds was presenting “is different from my views” because he was raising concerns over federal law and enforcement of such laws affecting fishing grounds for American Samoa.

According to the governor, he was “talking about the ownership of [local] resources.”

Simonds interjected saying that she stayed away from the LVPA issue, “so we can have a private discussion about it. But we understand totally where you’re coming from.” And she went on to explain the LVPA issue and the reasons for opening a portion of the LVPA to the large longline fleet, is because the local small alia-fleet has reduced over the years.

“And we are talking about [large longline) vessels owned by American Samoans as well. So in a year’s time, we will evaluate that,” she said, adding that the Council has supported fisheries development for small boats in the territory.

“We spent money in the last three years, on ice [machines] for Manu’a, boat ramps, fuel tanks. So the Council has provided all of these things, so that the small boats would be able to flourish especially in Manu’a,” Simonds said.

And fish caught by the boats can be taken to the Fagatogo Market Place to be sold, she said and noted that the Council also “spent several hundred thousand dollars on improving the Market Place so it would be a modern facility — because it was old.”

“So all those things are there to assist the American Samoa Government. What they need to do is to help to refurbish that fleet. There are costs but that I think that’s what needs to happen, the boats need to be fixed,” she continued.

Additionally, the Council spent funds for the design of the next generation of alia-boats (Super Alia). “So these are the kinds of things that are going on,” she said. “But I totally understand where the governor is coming from in terms of ‘these are our waters and we’d like to be able say what happens’. And I think that is a conversation that we shall continue.”

Lolo fired-back saying that the 50-mile protective zone of the LVPA “is considered to be our traditional fishing grounds for our people. And we’d like to preserve that for our people... for their livelihood.” He explained that the unemployment rate in American Samoa is much much higher then any other state or territory.

As for the money the Council spent on fishery improvements for Manu’a, the governor — a native of Manu’a — told Simonds, “It’s doing nothing. You bought other stuff, [but] you failed to repair those fishing boats.” He questioned what good is fuel “without fishing boats to use that.”

He insisted that the fishing boats should have been fixed first before any money was invested for other fishery development. He argued that it’s the “right of our people to make sure they have a future, otherwise, the next time, your agency will move over and take over our shorelines... And that’s very un-American.”

“I don’t think so governor,” was Simonds’ response as Interior Assistant Secretary of Insular Areas, Esther Kia’aina, facilitator of the meeting, thanked the governor for his response, saying, “I think both the Council and the American Samoa government have to continue that dialogue on a very important issue.”