Congressman Faleomavaega announced today that he is responding to false statements made by Joe Finete as reported by Samoa News in a July 14, 2008 article entitled “Tuna boat owners oppose Eni’s EEZ provision.”’ 

“To strengthen our US tuna fishing fleet and to make sure our tuna canneries have enough fish coming in to protect the jobs of our workers, I introduced a bill to allow newly built US tuna boats to fish in the waters around Howland Island, Baker Island, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island.  It is also my intent to exclude new members of our fleet from fishing in the EEZs of American Samoa, Guam, and CNMI.  Mr. Finete opposes my efforts,” Faleomavaega said.

“For the record, Mr. Finete is a career fisherman who owns two tuna boats that are part of the old US tuna fishing fleet.  Mr Finete is also the Chairman of the US Tunaboat Owners Coalition, a coalition he recently established in San Diego at his home address with Mr. Manase Mansur, a former Republican lobbyist and long-time supporter of Mrs. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, as his Executive Director.”

“At this time, it is my understanding that Mr. Finete’s coalition is composed of one boat owner, meaning himself.  If other tuna boat owners belong to his coalition, I am hopeful they will come forward so that we can work together to clear up the misinformation Mr. Finete has put forward.”

“As Mr. Finete knows, the American Tunaboat Association, which was established more than 30 years ago, is the association that represents almost the entire US tuna fishing fleet which includes about 26 or 27 boats, both old and new.  Mr. Finete also knows that many of the tuna boat owners do not agree with his actions or accusations and that the American Tunaboat Association is not involved in his efforts.”

“Nevertheless, I appreciate that Mr. Finete is doing business in American Samoa and I thank him for delivering his fish to our canneries for the past 20 years.  Like every other tuna boat owner, I want Mr. Finete to do well and make as much money as he can.  But I will not support Mr. Finete’s efforts to put himself before the welfare of our people.  Frankly, I believe it is wrong for Mr. Finete to assert that American Samoa should only be concerned about his two boats.  American Samoa must be concerned about our entire fishing fleet as well as our two canneries.  Currently, we do not have enough boats to supply our canneries with the fish they need.  No fish means no canneries and no canneries mean no jobs for our more than 5,000 tuna cannery workers.  So while I would like to support Mr. Finete, I believe his views are shortsighted and politically motivated.”

“As I reported to the Fono in a letter dated June 12, 2008, Mr. Fred Radewagen, a senior advisor to his wife, Mrs. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen, has contacted lobbyists in Washington DC to oppose the legislation which I introduced to strengthen our US tuna fishing fleet.  As a result of his efforts, Mr. Finete’s coalition is now being represented by a lobbyist who has been hired to prevent new members of the US tuna fishing fleet from fishing in the uninhabited waters north of Samoa including Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnston, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Islands thus harming the US tuna fish fleet’s ability to supply our canneries with fish which could in the long-term cost our cannery workers’ their jobs.”

“Serving as Mr. Finete’s Executive Director is Mrs. Aumua Amata Radewagen’s long-time supporter, Mr. Mansur.  While Mr. Finete, Mr. Radewagen, and Mr. Mansur are entitled to pursue whatever course they wish, I believe our people deserve to know the truth about the misleading reports and rumors they are perpetuating, and this is why I am responding to Mr. Finete’s letter dated June 26 which he wrote to Governor Togiola and copied to the Lieutenant Governor, President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House.”

“One, in his letter of June 26, Mr. Finete implies that Governor Togiola supports his efforts to undermine my work on behalf of our people.  Given that I have never heard from the Governor about this subject, I am unclear as to what Mr. Finete means by implying that the Governor is on his team.”

“Two, in his letter to Governor Togiola, Mr. Finete claims that I made false and inaccurate statements.  However, because Mr. Finete knows this is not true, he fails to support his position.”

Three, Mr. Finete states I am “giving away American Samoa’s valuable ship-building entitlement.”  Once again, this is not true.  The United States has not built a tuna boat for the past 30 years, and American Samoa has never built a tuna fishing vessel.  Furthermore, at no time in American Samoa’s 40-year association with the US tuna boats have the US tuna boats ever worked with ASG to establish a shipyard which could do major repair work.  On the other hand, Mr. Finete has delivered fish to American Samoa’s canneries for more than 20 years.  So, if Mr. Finete was sincere about establishing a major shipyard in American Samoa, where was Mr. Finete 20 years ago?  Why was he not investing in American Samoa way back then?  Why is Mr. Finete just now suggesting ASG can build a major shipyard knowing full well the costs are too high to be competitive?  And, if Mr. Finete supports American shipyards, why is it that not too long ago Mr. Finete himself chose to have his own boats repaired in New Zealand and not in American Samoa or anywhere else in the United States?  I submit Mr. Finete, from San Diego, is intentionally misleading the Governor and our Fono for purposes of protecting the interests of his two boats.  And while I support Mr. Finete’s right to look after his two boats, the people of American Samoa have elected me to look after their future, and this is what I will do.”

Four, Mr. Finete claims that I am taking away the “exclusive right of US-built boats to fish in neighboring US Pacific Islands’ waters.”  This is untrue.  The boats to which Mr. Finete refers are US flag ships and are a rightful part of our US tuna fishing fleet.  The boats were built in Taiwan because, as I previously stated, the US has not built a tuna boat in 30 years, and, as a career fisherman and a boat owner, Mr. Finete knows this.  Mr. Finete also knows that the US State Department and the US Department of Commerce allowed the new tuna boats to be built in Taiwan and that these boats fly the US flag because, as a matter of national policy, the US wants to strengthen the presence of the US tuna fishing fleet as agreed upon with the South Pacific Island Nations under the provisions of the South Pacific Tuna Treaty.  While I did not negotiate this agreement, I fully support it because a strong US tuna fishing fleet is in the best interest of American Samoa.”

Five, Mr. Finete states the new boats can take fish “without any guarantee that they will bring their catch to American Samoa’s canneries.”  This statement is also misleading.  By way of contractual agreement, Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee have the first right to purchase the fish caught by our new US tuna boats meaning that when these boats are ready to sell their catch, both Chicken of the Sea and Bumble Bee have the first right to purchase the fish caught by these US tuna boats.”

Six, Mr. Finete refers to my legislation as “secret.”  The legislation I introduced to make sure our canneries have enough fish, that our workers have their jobs, and that our economy stays strong is no secret.  It is a matter of public record that I introduced H.R. 3669 on September 26, 2007.  Regarding Mr. Finete’s assertion that I should have consulted with our local leaders before introducing it, I do not expect the Governor and the Fono to consult with me about legislation they introduce locally or how they manage or spend our funds.  While I sometimes disagree with the way they manage education, healthcare, and other issues, they answer to the people, not to me.  I also answer to the people, and it is up to the people who elected me to decide if I am representing and protecting their interests in the US Congress.”

Seven, Mr. Finete states my legislation is “shocking” because the waters around Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnston, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island are “reserved under law for boats built under the US flag.”  Again, Mr. Finete is wrong as my legislation is built on US policy.  US policy allows for US flag ships built in foreign countries to fish in fishery conservation zones and territorial seas adjacent to the Pacific territories.  This policy was established almost 25 years ago when Representative Tony Won Pat of Guam authored legislation to promote the US fishing industry in the Pacific.  My legislation simply builds on this policy to include US flag tuna purse seine vessels to ensure that our tuna fleet is revitalized and our canneries have enough fish to process in order to stay in American Samoa.”

Eight, Mr. Finete calls into question my arithmetic. He states there are currently “26 boats in the US tuna fleet,” implying that they were all built in the US.  What he fails to state is that about 14, as I have said all along, are part of the old fleet.  Mr. Finete fails to clarify this point because he clearly wishes to mislead our people.  As I stated previously, our fishing fleet used to have about 30 to 35 tuna boats which were built in the US and based out of San Diego.  Over time, the fleet dwindled down to about 14 boats.  To build our fleet back up, roughly ten to twelve new boats have been built in Taiwan making our current fleet at about 26 boats.  For Mr. Finete to now suggest that the 26 boats in our fleet have been built in the US is untrue.  Mr. Finete knows about ten boats have already been built in Taiwan and that as many as four more may yet be built bringing our fleet back up to about 30.”

Nine, Mr. Finete also knows that the US State Department is prepared to cap our fleet at about 40 boats.  Therefore, for Mr. Finete to state that “there is a real opportunity for new US-built tuna boats” to be built in American Samoa or other parts of the US is also misleading.  Mr. Finete knows there is no real opportunity for new boats to be built in the US.  Again, he knows that our new US boats are being built in Taiwan because the US has not built a new tuna boat in the past 30 years.  He also knows that US shipyards are in decline and, as I said before, this is why not too long ago he himself took his own boats to New Zealand for repair where he paid out millions of dollars to New Zealand shipyards rather than to American Samoa or any other shipyard in America.”  

“Ten, despite Mr. Finete’s attempts to mislead our people on these important points, I have every confidence that our people will see that Mr. Finete’s complaints are politically motivated and based on his own desire to protect his self-interests.  Again, while I want to see Mr. Finete succeed and while I truly appreciate the contribution he has made in offloading his fish at our canneries, it is my responsibility to put the interests of our people first.  Progress hurts but progress demands that we add new boats to the tuna fishing fleet to ensure that our canneries remain open.”

“While these boats may have been foreign-built, they are US vessels and they fly the American flag.  Like every other US tuna boat, the US State Department and US Department of Commerce have determined that they have every right to fish in the South Pacific Tuna Treaty Area.  I believe they also have the right to fish in the uninhabited islands of Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnston, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island, as the US established this policy 25 years ago by allowing US flag ships of 200 tons built in foreign countries to fish in fishery conservation zones and territorial seas adjacent to the Pacific territories.  Twenty-five years later, I am only including tuna purse seine vessels to ensure that our tuna fleet is revitalized and our canneries have the fish they need to protect our workers’ jobs.”

 “Regarding the EEZs of American Samoa, Guam, and CNMI, I prefer that these waters be left for our local fishermen.  I am very aware that the old US tuna boats rarely fish in our EEZs and I am pleased that the new boats support my position that they will not be allowed to fish within our EEZz.  However, I would encourage Mr. Finete and his coalition to work more closely with the American Tunaboat Association which has informed my office that it wants access to our EEZs, a position I will not support.”

“Once more, the American Tunaboat Association represents almost the entire US tuna fishing fleet, or 26 or 27 tuna boat owners, and has chosen to remain neutral on whether or not the new tuna boats should be allowed to fish in the uninhabited islands of Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Johnston, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island.  However, given that Mr. Finete has hired a Washington lobbyist under the name of his coalition, I believe it is time for the American Tunaboat Association to also take a stand.”

“In the meantime, although Mr. Finete has never contacted my office nor did he copy me on his letter, my door remains open and I will do all I can to assist him and make sure that he enjoys 20 more years of good business in American Samoa.  In fact, I am hopeful to meet with the Chairman of Dongwon Industries in the near future if they buy StarKist, and I would be more than happy to bring some of Mr. Finete’s concerns to the table including how we can work together to make sure our old tuna boats have some kind of negotiated opportunity to offload their fresh fish to our canneries,” Faleomavaega concluded.