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Longliner exemption rests with U.S. Sec. of Commerce

The U.S. Secretary of Commerce will need to approve a decision made last week by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council to allow locally based U.S longline vessels to fish in a certain portion of the Large Vessel Prohibited Area (LVPA), which is reserved  only for local alia, which are vessels less than 50 feet long.

 

In news released last Friday, the Council said it has recommended an amendment to the LVPA regulation, and if approved by the U.S. Commerce Secretary, the measure would allow federally permitted American Samoa longline vessels to operate in waters seaward of 12 nautical miles (nm) around the islands of Tutuila, Manu’a and Swains.

 

The measure would continue to exclude the larger vessels from operating 0 to 12 miles from the shore, and would include an annual review by the Council at which time the LVPA measure could be further amended.

 

The initial purpose of creating the LVPA was to mitigate potential user conflict between the small and larger vessels, according to the Council, who added that their data show only one small alia vessel is currently operating in the Territory.

 

The Council also states that while the South Pacific albacore tuna stock is assessed as healthy (not overfished), lower catch rates have negatively affected longline fleets throughout the South Pacific region, including American Samoa's fleet of larger longline vessels, which provide fish to the tuna canneries in Pago Pago.

 

It was announced during last week’s Council meeting that there were letters of support for amending the LVPA. Among them were letters from StarKist Co., and Tri Marine International, whose local operations include the Samoa Tuna Processors Inc., cannery.

 

Tri Marine’s support was outlined in a Feb. 24 letter form the company’s chief operating officer, Joe Hamby to Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga and copied to the Council.  Hamby pointed out that Tri Marine is heavily invested in American Samoa’s community and economic growth.

 

He said supporting this proposal is of strategic importance for the U.S. longline fleet’s long-term sustainability and ongoing success. Hamby also said that an American Samoa based fleet is a fundamental source of fish for the local canneries and workforce.

 

“Any reduction in raw material supply will have a negative impact on the industry and economy,” he wrote. “Reducing the current restricted area will bring more fish to the local canneries, provide more jobs in the local workforce and economic growth for the financially struggling Pago Pago-based U.S. longline fleet, as well as the local economy.”

 

StarKist company official Cary Gann wrote to the Council in January this year saying that StarKist supports the opening up of the LVPA under the following conditions: U.S. flagged vessels only, based out of American Samoa and 100% of the catch within the restricted area must be delivered to American Samoa.

 

Gann said that it’s the company’s understanding that there is only one alia active in operations in the territory and it does not make sense to continue restricting the fishing grounds for the large longliners if the restricted area is only being fished by one alia.

 

He says allowing the longline fleet to fish in the exclusive area will provide more fish for the local canneries. “It would also provide a significant economic benefit for the Pago based U.S flagged longliners that have been suffering through a prolonged financial crisis,” he said.

 

Another letter of support came from Purse Seine Samoa Inc., which states that the longline fishing industry in American Samoa is vital to the economic stability of the region and the nation.

 

Additionally, these longline fisheries operate in one of the most productive fishing grounds in the Western Pacific, propelling an industry that brings a considerable economic benefit and provides a significant percentage of North America’s seafood.