American Samoa's fish canneries are seeking concessions from the territory's government to help offset the restrictions on access to fishing grounds and the collapse of a major tuna deal.
Photo: 123RF
Tri Marine International, which dedicated its more than $US70 million fish processing plant a year ago, is asking for a moratorium on lease payments for two years and a reduction in utility and water rates.
Photo: RNZI
StarKist Samoa is asking for more dock space.
Tri Marine International's spokesperson Heidi Happonen says the Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga is working through his Fisheries Task Force to better understand the difficult business conditions now being faced by the canneries.
She says Tri Marine is mainly concerned about the locally based US flag purse seiners that represent the backbone of the supply of tuna to the canneries.
Ms Happonen says their company faces a difficult choice of either slowing down production or importing higher cost raw materials.
She says the options represent a potentially heavy blow toTri Marine International, which is the parent company of Samoa Tuna Processors.