By Atuna.com
Tri-Marine International, which owns a tuna cannery in American Samoa, is hoping to turn the territory into the regional hub for fish processing.
Unlike American Samoa, the company said many Pacific island countries lack the land mass, population and infrastructure needed for this business.
It owns the Samoa Tuna Processors cannery, which is currently undergoing construction in Atu’u.
The company’s business strategy is to help Pacific island countries take more ownership of the fish caught in their waters. The idea is to require boats to unload their catch in the ports of the countries where their fish was caught – American Samoa in this case.
Tri-Marine senior executives and shareholders, including CEO Renato Curto, are currently inspecting the the plant – entering its second phase of development - and touring the shipyard.
Tri-Marine’s ambition for American Samoa is a shift in direction for the company. It had previously been an early investor in the Madang Tuna Park, in Papua New Guinea, but the joint project with RD Tuna Canners stalled last year due to the lack of government and state approvals. According to a Tri-Marine spokesman last year, the slow progress was a disappointment. The company also expressed concern that there might not be enough guaranteed access to the tuna resources to support the planned industrial expansion.