The American Samoa Democratic Party (ASDP) stands in solidarity with the leaders and people of Manu‘a in safeguarding the Rose Atoll Marine National Monument for the present and future citizens of American Samoa. Rose Atoll is a sacred ecological and cultural treasure, central to our food security, climate resilience, and way of life. Any effort to weaken its protections disregards our culture, undermines generations of indigenous stewardship, and ignores the clear will of our people.

The bigger, underlying issue of StarKist as our primary economic driver has been an issue for years with no resolution. Now is the time for our government and private sector to work together to diversify our economy, not reverse protections that were put in place to conserve delicate ecosystems like Muliava.

Party Chair Patrick Ti‘a Reid stated:

“It is unfortunate that the local Republican Party continues to double down on their gaslighting and laughable that they suddenly acknowledge facts and science.

Nonetheless, this is an issue that transcends Party and affects all of us regardless of our personal and political beliefs.”

We applaud the Fono for its leadership on Rose Atoll and urge continued legislative action on other urgent environmental threats, including deep sea mining, to protect our measina: our ocean, our lands, and our future generations.”