Taotasi continues to lobby for recognition of Am Samoa’s SIDS status

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Department of Marine Wildlife and Resources director, Taotasi Archie Soliai, continues his plea for US tuna boats to be given Small Island Developing States (SIDS) status.

Taotasi made the comments at the annual meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in Vietnam.

He pointed to the Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S regarding fishing access terms for 2023.

“Congratulations to all parties for this accomplishment. As you know, this MOU is just as important to American Samoa as it is to you.

“Known as the South Pacific Tuna Treaty, it is an ongoing agreement between the United States and 16 Pacific Island countries.

“The treaty allows for U.S. purse seine vessels to fish in the exclusive economic zones of the Pacific Island countries that are party to the treaty.

“All of the U.S flag tuna purse seiners that are based in Pago Pago and that supply tuna to our canneries in American Samoa depend on this Treaty for access to the fishing grounds that are managed by this Commission.”

The DMWR Director said the Tuna Treaty was first entered into in 1988 when the landscape of this fishery was very different than it is today.

“Back then the U.S flag purse seiner fleet was the second largest one operating in what is now the Convention Area.

“This fleet operated predominantly in and out of American Samoa feeding the raw material needs of our canneries.”

The director informed the conference that for some time, the U.S.flag purse seiner fleet grew in numbers as some operators choose the U.S flag to take advantage of the favorable terms of access afforded to them by the Tuna Treaty.

“Over time, that has changed and in recent years the number of U.S flag purse seiners serving the needs of our tuna dependent economy in American Samoa continues to decline to what has become a critically low level.

“Those boats left the U.S flag to take advantage of better terms of access, like the exemptions from the FAD [fish aggregating device] closure and to limits on the high seas for vessels that are either flagged or chartered to SIDS countries. And yet, these same considerations are not afforded to the American Samoa based fleet on which our economy urgently depends, even though the Convention itself makes clear that Participating Territories are to considered in the same light as other SIDS.

“If we continue to do nothing about this, we fear that this trend will continue and we will lose our tuna supply.

“Like many of our Pacific neighbors in this meeting, American Samoa is a small island developing territory that is highly dependent on the tuna fishery that is managed by this Commission.”

Taotasi cited Article 30 of the Convention that clearly states, “... the Commission shall take into account the special requirements of developing States Parties, in particular small island developing States, and of territories and possessions.

“I echo the sentiments from the Honorable Ministers from Samoa and Niue on the responsibility that the Commission has towards SIDS countries and Participating Territories, and also echo their sentiments on South Pacific Albacore.

“We share the same concerns that you have expressed here. For those who have heard this plea from American Samoa before, please forgive me.

“For those who haven’t and those who have not responded to our cry for help, I pray that you will have ears to hear what is for American Samoa, your Pacific Island brother, a most critical issue for our economic survival.

“I am hopeful that this distress signal will be looked upon favorably by this Commission, and follow the guidelines as provided in the Convention Articles.”