Increased Import Of Loins Threat To American Samoan Economyff

Testifying before minimum wage committee 26, Congressman Eni Faleomavaega Hunkin expressed his concern regarding tuna loins. He said: “I would like to publicly state that I am deeply concerned about the number of loins that are being shipped to American Samoa for processing. It is an insult to our intelligence for both StarKist and Samoa Packing to assume that Samoans do not understand what this means for the Territory. Samoans understand that the use of precooked tuna loins as a raw material in canning operations could significantly influence the amount of labor needed in the production process. Samoans also understand that the production of loins, including the butchering and cleaning steps, accounts for up to 80% of the cost of labor in a full-scale cannery.”

“This means that if a cannery buys loins instead of whole fish it can substantially reduce its labor costs. In other words, the more loins you send to American Samoa, the less labor you need in our canneries. Less labor means downsizing and downsizing means many of our cannery workers will be out of jobs if StarKist and Samoa Packing continue to ship loins into American Samoa,” said his statement.

Eni also questioned Smyth as to why the tuna fishing fleet is not included in the DOL's 2005 Economic Report. He said that the U.S. tuna boat owners contribute $22 million to the economy and account for 70% of the tuna being processed in the canneries.

Eni called the American Samoan workers the “backbone” of the US tuna industry. He asked that the canneries “not only act in the interest of their shareholders but also in the interest of their workers.”

“For 50 years, the U.S. tuna industry has told us it would leave American Samoa if wages were increased. Fifty years later, both canneries are with us,” the Congressman said.