Tri Marine International is not surprised by the US Government’s announcement its withdrawing from the South PacificTuna Treaty .
In a statement issued this afternoon the owners of local cannery Samoa Tuna Processors say it remains focused on ensuring the long term stability of its operations in American Samoa.
Tri Marine maintains that in its current form the South Pacific Tuna Treaty fails to provide enough flexibility especially for the boats that are based in American Samoa.
“It also fails to deliver the most value to the resource owners because the Vessel Day Scheme places value on fishing days alone, rather than the tuna itself and does not necessarily represent the long-term best interests of island communities,” said the statement.
Tri Marine favors a revision of the Treaty starting from scratch rather than attempting to modify an agreement that was effectively rendered obsolete when Kiribati severely restricted access to their Exclusive Economic Zone at the start of 2015.
The cannery said the current Treaty is tied to a reality that no longer exists and needs to be rebuilt from the ground up to meet the needs of both the Pacific Island Parties and the U.S. boat owners as Asian interests continue to expand their reach into the region.
The cannery notes that these issues are incredibly complex and believes both the U.S. State Department and the American Tunaboat Owners Association are best equipped and qualified to address the impact of evolving decisions that will continue to be made as all parties seek a long-term solution to the U.S. Tuna Treaty.
