The Seahawk No.68 aground on a reef near Pago Pago. Photo: RNZI/Monica Miller
A lack of funding is stopping the salvaging of a longliner that has been stuck on an American Samoan reef since May.
The chair of the American Samoa Climate Change Task Force, Ruth Matagi Tofiga, raised the matter of the stranded Seahawk 68 with the US Coral Reef Task Force in the hope funding could be secured from federal sources.
She told the meeting that the vessel is a threat to corals and marine life.
"The impact of the biology in terms of the coral is really being impacted. We forwarded that report to the AG's [Attorney General's] office so that they can go after whoever it is that owns that vessel."
Ruth Matagi Tofiga
All of the fuel that had been onboard the vessel has been removed under Coast Guard supervision.
The owners of the vessel have hired a company from Houston to look at the salvage operation but our correspondent reports there are no signs it will be removed anytime soon.