Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Seafood Academy, strategically located at the Marketplace in Fagatogo facing the waterfront, is inviting interested local fishermen to enroll in its 11-week training program, with classes slated to begin in January 2025.

Spearheaded by the Department of Commerce (DOC), this program is designed to teach participants basic navigation and boat handling skills, how to longline and bottom fish, proper fish handling and quality control best practices, how to create their own economic and job opportunities, and how to support a new fresh fish industry.

The training program will have two tracks. One will teach deckhands how to fish using longlines and electric reels, and the second will teach captains about operating the vessels, the fishing industry, using navigational devices, and fisheries regulations.

Through the course of the 11-week syllabus compiled by DOC in collaboration with the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR), participants will initially be taught the theory in a classroom setting and eventually progress into the practical part of the program aboard the super alia.

They will learn how to handle and operate the recently acquired super alia fishing boat and utilize its state-of-the-art equipment and features. The inaugural class will be highly selective, with only ten slots available and candidates will be chosen based on their experience and commitment.

With this development, the much-publicized Super Alia Project is one step away from being fully implemented.

According to DOC Fisheries Economic Development Officer Tamatoa Tony Langkilde, the end result of the training is to create a workforce that will be able to fish on the super alia and also ensure a stable supply of fresh fish.

He said the main target for the catch from these vessels is the local market including restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, the School Lunch Program, and LBJ Medical Center nutritional initiatives as well as exports to Hawaii fresh fish market outlets.

The American Samoa Seafood Academy was proposed as a vital part of the grant application for funding the Super Alia Project.

The goal was to enhance the skills and capabilities of local fishermen with the aid of technology on the super alia, promoting sustainable fishing practices at a higher level, and thereby boosting the local fishing industry.

He elaborated that when the grant application for $1.3 million to build the super alia and establish a training center was submitted to the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which operates under the auspices of the USDOC, the initiative garnered somuch support that the EDA advised resubmitting  the application for funds to build four boats and a training center.

Subsequently, it was resubmitted and the EDA awarded a total of $5.1 million.

This was after the approval of an initial grant application by the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) under the Department of the Interior (USDOI), which awarded a total of $64,000 to design the Super Alia, and recently in 2023 approved $200,000 to assist and improve the training & education center.

"The super alia concept was initiated under former Governor Lolo Moliga's leadership," Langkilde revealed. "Governor Lolo first brought up the idea during a chance meeting in Hawaii in 2015, where he lamented the scarcity of fresh fish on the island despite being surrounded by a sea full of fish."

Inside the cockpit of the Tautai Mua Super Alia with the steering wheel, navigational instruments, and state-of-the-art features necessary for enhanced commercial fishing. Next to the controls area is the opening to the sleeping quarters where crew members can sleep or rest. [photo: Asi A. Fa'asau]

Thus, the Super Alia Project was conceived.

Langkilde was tasked with coordinating the project and teamed up with the late Wally Thompson to design the boat.

"We wanted to design a boat that would be a more modern version of the locally-built alias," Langkilde recounted. "A boat that was bigger, safer, could go farther out at sea, has a larger capacity to store fish, and could stay out longer — from 3 to 5 days — before returning with a fresh catch."

The first super alia, named "Tautai Mua," was built by Armstrong Consolidated Incorporated (ACI Boats) in Port Townsend, Washington, and was dedicated in June 5, 2024.

With enhanced size, safety features, and an extended range, the vessel demonstrates the capacity to return with substantial catches and is touted to revolutionize the way fishing is conducted in American Samoa and potentially the region.

One of the vessel’s key features is its ability to stay at sea for extended periods, ranging from 3 to 5 days, thanks to its advanced technology and provisions.

Utilizing multipurpose fishing methods, including a 12-mile mini spool longline gear and electric bottomfish reels, the super alia guarantees a plentiful catch.

"The key is to educate our people on how to use the boat,"; Langkilde said. "Hopefully, the founding class of the American Samoa Seafood Academy will be manning the Tautai Mua after completing their training early next year."

The two course facilitators are experts in their fields with a combined experience of more than 50 years in the fishing industry.

William Chute is the Master Fisherman and is also a qualified Sea Captain, while Qaravanua Tovilea, the Captain is also a qualified Chief Engineer. The two Fiji nationals will be teaching both the theory and practical parts of the training.

The two course facilitators at the American Samoa Seafood Academy are Qaravanua Tovilea (left), the Captain, who is also a qualified Chief Engineer, and William Chute, the Master Fisherman, who is also a qualified Sea Captain. [photo: Asi A. Fa'asau]

Three more super alia vessels will be made available under the project funded by the USDOC's Economic Development Administration. The second vessel should arrive in January, the third one six months after that and the final vessel should be here towards the end of 2025.

The Tautai Mua will function as a training platform while the other three will serve as business incubators for boat owners and crew.

According to Langkilde, successive participants taking the training and graduating will progress to operate the other three boats as they arrive until all four boats are operational and bring in fresh catches.

Other graduates who do not get a chance to work on the super alias can use their newly gained knowledge to find jobs on other fishing boats if they choose. Meanwhile, other money making opportunities, such as processing, packaging and marketing the fish to local consumers, are also viable options.

Langkilde emphasized that the four super alias are government-owned property and cannot be sold or leased.

The DOC Fisheries Economic Development Officer revealed that all participants who work on the super alias, whether as deckhands, fishermen, or captains, will have their hours of operation monitored and recorded by the American Samoa Seafood Academy and DMWR.

This includes tracking the number of fish, the weight of the catch, and the different species of fish caught as well as how many trips per year.

Captains who want to buy a super alia to run their own operations must demonstrate a clear understanding of why they want to own boats.

"They can express their intentions to us, and we can discuss their commitment because a super alia with all its features and state-of-the-art equipment costs more than $700,000," Langkilde stressed.

“We can help determine the appropriate boat size and the equipment needed for their super alia, after which they can apply for a loan from ASDOC SSBCI Program. To support their loan application, we can include the data we recorded of their hours and trips on the boats they operate.”

DOC Director Petti Matila encouraged local fishermen and new recruits to take up the opportunity to upgrade their knowledge and fishing skills with the aid of modern technology, thus boosting the local fishing industry.

Director Matila also acknowledged former Governor Lolo Moliga for initiating the project, Governor Lemanu for continuing Lolo's vision, and everyone who was involved in ensuring it came to fruition.

"This is one of the many achievements of the government to improve not only the economy with regard to the fishing industry but more importantly, the quality of life for our people," the DOC Director stated. "I am humbled and honored to have been part of this project and I hope it continues to benefit our people."