Vanishing Industry

Plump Hits Tuna

[?]N American

Samoa

Because of a slump in Amen an Samoa’s tuna fishing in ustry, the number of Japanese

nd Korean fishing vessels

perating out of Pago Pago

as dropped from 72 in 1963 ■y a current total of 56.

CHE director of Industrial Relations for Van Camp Seafoods, one f Pago’s two tuna canneries, said this i Pago in July at a wages inquiry onducted by a committee from the Fnited States Department of Labour, 'he director is Mr. W. S. Rule.

Mr. Rule said the tuna industry ad experienced “a dramatic down rend” since a 1963 sausage poison ig scare which originated in a lainland cannery.

Japanese vessels operating out of •ago Pago had dropped from 69 in 963 to 28 now because their owners ought more profitable fisheries in apan or in the Atlantic, “Deliveries of albacore, the iremium fish, have fallen off here,” dr. Rule said, “and today we can iroduce a case of tuna in California it less cost than we can produce it a Samoa and land it in California.”

Mr. Rule hinted that if there were continued unprofitable operations” n American Samoa, his company yould have to consider closing its annery.

"Without Profit"

Mr. Robert Pedersen, vice-presi lent of Star-Kist Samoa Inc., said lis firm’s Samoan cannery was Virtually without profit at this time” ind that the “outlook in the industry s not bright”.

At the end of the hearing, the vages committee agreed that there hould be only a minor increase in he territory’s Federally-regulated ninimum wage, which ranges from tl an hour cannery workers to 55 rents for ships’ crews.

“An overwhelming view of the witnesses was that there should be no increase,” a spokesman said. ‘We were also greatly concerned because there was evidence that the tuna industry is not now flour ishing.”

He added: “Tuna cannery re presentatives all indicated that the companies are taking measures to improve the industry position here.

All were very hopeful for the future.”

Footnote : A report recently from a Japanese fishing research vessel, Surugu Maru, indicates excellent fishing potential in Tongan waters.

Catches of surface fish of the tuna,

bonito and mackerel types were favourable, and the catch of bottom fish, particularly m the vicimty of Hunga Haapai, was outstanding 30 hooks on a set line landed 24 fish. The vessel had been fishing between Piha Passage in Tongatapu to Dido Shoal in the west, and between the entrance to Nukualofa Harbour and Hunga Haapai m the east.