StarKist CEO pays courtesy call on Gov Lemanu during visit to territory

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — StarKist Co. has requested an increase in the guest worker permit program to help meet labor shortage issues at the StarKist Samoa cannery, according to a Governor’s Office news release following a courtesy visit to Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga by StarKist Co., president and CEO, Andrew Cho, who was accompanied by the cannery’s management team.

The visit last week Wednesday was to introduce the new StarKist Samoa plant director, Injoo Ha and also to request an increase for the guest worker program to help meet labor shortage issues with the local cannery.

According to the press release, Ha discussed that despite the global challenges from COVID-19, overall, the Tuna industry in the US is doing 'ok,' and American Samoa plays a significant role in StarKist being a major player in the competitive market.

Choe also brought up the need for StarKist to increase the guest worker program to help meet the market's demands and the Tuna industry's future outlook.

"StarKist is blessed to be here in American Samoa. We have been here for 59 years, and we look forward to being here to celebrate 100 years. At one point, American Samoa was the number one Tuna Canning Factory globally. We want to help American Samoa get back to that status,” Choe is quoted in the press release.

In response, the governor thanked StarKist for the visit and gave assurance that “we are here to help with whatever issues you have.”

Also present at the meeting were officials from the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency, Health Department, Marine and Wildlife Resource Department and the Attorney General’s Office.

The governor informed the StarKist delegation that these ASG officials, “will be standing by to ensure you get the help you need to continue being a big part of our local economy.”

"I hear your concerns with your labor shortages, and I want to work closely with your team to see how we can streamline efforts to help you out the best we can,” Lemanu said and thanked the StarKist Samoa team for “being very patient and professional during the COVID-19 lockdown” earlier this year.

No other details were provided in the news release on StarKist’s request for an increase in the guest worker program — which is the local Guest Worker Permit law that allows the cannery to recruit workers from Samoa.

Choe arrived in the territory on Aug. 21 to meet with the StarKist Samoa management team as well as with the governor, and he departed the territory on Aug. 25.

Asked for comments/information on Choe’s meetings with the StarKist Samoa management and the governor, StarKist Co. corporate office told Samoa News last Thursday morning that the company had no comments yet.

Since late last year, StarKist Samoa — the largest private employer in the territory — has been able to bring in more than 150 workers from Samoa under the Guest Worker Permit program, following approval and endorsement from the Lemanu-Talauega Administration.