Noaa American Samoa

The program therefore uses the first year as a period of "discovery" to find out more about this remote area of the United States and the local catch. This programme has concentrated on assessing the interdependencies between marine and long-linefishing, naval security and by-catch interventions.

Statistical information gathered by observed have shown the variety of AS specimens, which reflect the same specimens seen in the Hawaii programme, as well as a number of specimens in the Southern Pacific that are new to Hawaii as newly educated wildlife monitors. Samoa, a group of five volcano isles and two reefs about 2600 nautical miles South from Hawaii in the Southern Pacific, is an uncorporated, disorganized area of the United States and encompasses the Samoan east isles of Tutuila, Aunu'u, Rose, the three Manu'a isles ('Ta'u, Olosega and Ofu) and Swains loch.

The Polynesians settled on the island around 1000 BC and their offspring are one of the few surviving Polynese people. In 1722 the Flemish sailor Jacob Roggeveen saw the Manu'a isles. Samoa is a US area since April 17, 1900, when the High Chiefs of Tutuila became the first of two deeds of assignment for the island to the US (Congress passed the deeds in 1929.) Swain's private ownership came under US government in 1925.

There are a number of advantages for AS from the observers programme, the most significant of which is the improvement of security in the fishing fleets. United States Coast Guard (USCG) Marine Occupational Health and Human Services Detachment Department in Pago Pago, works very tightly with the program, and gave the first commercial Fishing Vessel Security sticker in over 4 years.

As a result of this joint efforts, the number of boats with inspection tags in this sector has risen by 66%. It helps AS ships to obtain security labels by supporting the USCG in providing certificated ship security exercises and directives and helps ships to rectify reported lack. Because of the AS's remoteness and finite resource base, all ship positions contain security exercises with the monitors and crew.

At the master/owner's option, the programme shall also include security exercises and trainings, whether or not an observer is onboard. As soon as the programme has reached full financing, the cover ratio in the AS is increased to 20%. As with the Hawaii programme, AS monitors are working at MRAG Americas Inc.

Whilst the monitoring obligations between Hawaii and the AS are largely the same, the AS monitors support the AS NMFS observerver coordinator in the administration and logistics tasks of both the supplier and the NMFS. Although the AS programme is new and has been accepted with some scepticism, the AS fisheries fellowship has recognised the many advantages associated with the programme's visibility, such as naval security, enhanced range and training and moves to develop a fisheries management plan specifically for the American Samoa area.