Am Samoa receives grant for biosecurity training support

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Government has been awarded $116,850 from the Office of Insular Affairs, as a part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for Regional Biosecurity Training Support.

The grant, which has been designated for Regional Biosecurity Training Support, is intended to strengthen and improve the existing biosecurity measures within the territory, with the objective of protecting the economy, environment, and population from biological threats such as plant and animal pests and diseases.

To protect and increase American Samoa’s resilience to biosecurity, members of American Samoa’s biosecurity leadership team must attend the Regional Biosecurity Training sponsored by OIA and USDA APHIS which will be held in Guam between Nov 27- Dec 1. The workshop will convene biosecurity personnel and their local government administrators from across the US Territories, Freely Associated States, and Kiribati to develop island-specific and regional biosecurity goals.

According to a press release from the Governor’s Office, the 10 individuals proposed to attend this training “are critical to American Samoa’s biosecurity mission.” Workshop participants will receive training on tools, techniques, and best management practices for biosecurity. Effective biosecurity necessitates a multifaceted approach that includes 1) pre-border policies and processes to prevent invasive species from entering American Samoa, 2) border policies and processes that support inspecting incoming items to ensure minimal risk of pest entry into our territory, and 3) post-border policies and processes that support detecting and responding to new invasive species incursions and controlling established invasive species wherever possible.

This strategy tackles the most severe biosecurity deficiencies in American Samoa and offers a coordinated, interagency roadmap to a more secure future. It identifies numerous policies, processes, and infrastructure activities that the American Samoa territorial, federal, and three traditional district areas, as well as partners, can take.

Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga emphasized that the American Samoa Government must collaborate on a regional scale with neighboring Pacific Islands, Countries, and Territories because we all share the same sea and air routes that support our livelihoods, well-being, food security, biodiversity, sustainable livelihoods, indigenous knowledge, and cultural resources. Therefore, an efficient biosecurity system is necessary for mitigating these risks and protecting our Samoan natural and cultural heritage.

The American Samoa Biosecurity Leadership Team consists of at least two members from the Governor's Biodiversity Conservation Office, American Samoa Community College Land Grant, Department of Treasury -Customs, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Health, Department of Port Administration, American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency, American Samoa Coral Reef Advisory Group, and the Department of Marine and Wildlife.

Vanitha Sivarajan and Valerie Brown, the senior federal scientists of the Office of Insular Affairs and NOAA National Marine Sanctuary, serve as the territory’s science technical advisors for terrestrial and marine biosecurity partnership projects and the biosecurity team is chaired by Biodiversity Conservation Office Director Tavita Pemerika Togia, under the leadership of the Governor's Chief of Staff, Fasisina Loa Tuimavave Laupola.

This comes as a result of efforts put forth by Togia, Governor’s Biodiversity Conservation Office; and Lydia Nomura Faleafine and Vanitha Sivarajan, US Department of Interior - Office of Insular Affairs, and the American Samoa Biosecurity Leadership Team.