Fishing promise

A fish-processing factory, owned by a Taiwan company called Yuh Yow Fishery, will be up and running at the Matautu Wharf in April. The company, which is locally registered under the name of Apia Deep Fishing Company, offloaded an estimate of 70 tonnes of frozen fish at the wharf on Thursday, ready for export.

Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Le Mamea Ropati, inspected the vessel.

Its catch was mainly big eye and yellow fin tuna, which will be packed in a container to export to Japan and American Samoa.

Minister Le Mamea said the vessel caught the fish in Samoa and other parts of the Pacific.

“The vessel was in our zone for a little time but most of the time it was fishing in Tokelau,” said Le Mamea.

“We don’t spend any money on this operation but we get a lot of benefits for the workers and the processing factory when it opens in April.”

According to the Minister, the boat not only holds a license to fish in Samoa, it also has other licenses to fish in the waters of neigbouring countries.

Asked how many foreign vessel licenses issued for the Taiwan Company, Le Mamea said seven.

“We issued seven licenses yesterday (Wednesday) to this company,” he confirmed. “I think they need about twenty (licenses) but so far this is enough for them.

“We will wait and see, depending on how profitable their operation will be and will decide.”

The Minister also addressed claims from the Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, about the issuing of one billion licenses.

“Technically, we cannot go up to one billion license as Prime Minister said,” laughed Le Mamea.

“The Prime Minister was joking but everyone took it seriously especially the Observer. We cannot fit a billion boats in the zone, we don’t have space for the boats so he was joking.”

But then isn’t seven fishing licenses too many for one company?

“No,” said Le Mamea. “These people pay U.S$15,000 (T$34,500) per annum per license. Our local boats pay about S.A.T$1,000 depending on the size of the boat.”

The Minister was also asked about concerns on the impact of foreign companies having the upper hand over local companies.

“That is the name of the game,” he said. “Our local fishermen buy their baits and fishing gears from a local company and a lot of them come to me saying it’s too expensive. But this company is going to offer them cheaper baits, ice and fishing gear.”

Le Mamea also assured that the companies are being strictly monitored in terms of reserved areas where they cannot fish, to protect local alia and fishermen.

“These people fish in the places much, much further,” he pointed out.

“These companies are not allowed to fish within that distance of 20 nautical miles…if they are found, they will be fined.”

For Prime Minister Tuilaepa, he is looking forward to the opening of the factory.

“It means more employment for our people and as you saw at the wharf, the workers were hired and paid to pack the containers.

“The company will also need four men to work on the vessel and tell their Samoan riddles.”

The local agent for the Taiwan owned company is Operation Manager, Fuimaono Hugo Betham, of Betham Brothers.

Fuimaono said the company has a fleet of 20 vessels with majority operating in areas other than Pacific.

“The fish is not only from the Samoa zone but from I.C. (Independent Core) that is free for all fishing boats.”

The Operation Manager said the main benefit for Samoa is the company using the wharf as a hub to export its fish.