US Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Fisheries at NOAA, Russell Smith III, in an unofficial visit to the Territory on Friday took the opportunity to meet the people in the federal fishery, such as the owners and captains of the US Pago-based vessels, as well as touch base with StarKist Samoa and Tri Marine officials. The American Samoa longline limited entry program is a federal program.

Samoa News understands Smith was gathering information for his deliberations in the international arena, and was able to also meet with Tautai O Samoa Association members during the Western Pacific Commission meetings in Samoa.

Smith is said to understand the dire situation of albacore in the South Pacific, where insiders in the industry say, in the last five years most longliners lost money and those who made money averaged about $30k—while the heyday of longline fishing averaged $100k - $200k.