The government of American Samoa is being urged to closely monitor developments surrounding the cannery StarKist and its plans to set up a loining plant in Asau, Savaii, in neighbouring Samoa.
Star Kist is looking at alternative operations locations and says it's hoping the territory's lawmakers will help forge a concrete plan for assistance to reinvigorate American Samoa's tuna industry.
The Co-chairman of the American Samoan Governor's Economic Advisory Council David Robinson says it is incumbent on the teritory to monitor the developments because Samoa's Government takes a pro active approach to economic development.
"They do have access to funds from various international bodies: the IMF, the Asian Development Bank, and people like that. It's quite possible that through their connectinos with those organisations, they could access the amount of funds necessary to build the right level of infrastructure to satisfy Starkist."
David Robinson
