StarKist given land option for freezer storage facility, but not shipyard land in American Samoa
Based on a recommendation from Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga, StarKist Co., has been informed that the ASG land at the shipyard in Satala cannot be leased to the cannery, which has instead been offered another parcel of land at the old Satala power plant site.
For more than a decade now, StarKist has been trying to obtain government land to expand its storage freezer facility but has been unsuccessful. StarKist’s move became more urgent in the last two years, during the Lolo Administration, as the cannery sought more storage space, for fish supply to prevent any last minute shutdown of production.
Last year, discussions between StarKist and ASG Shipyard Service Authority, which oversees the shipyard, centered on land in the shipyard compound, but by the end of 2016, things were not looking good for the cannery.
At yesterday’s cabinet meeting, Lolo said the cannery has been informed that the shipyard land is not available for the freezer storage and to look at another site.
Read more: http://www.samoanews.com/local-news/starkist-given-land-option-freezer-storage-facility-not-shipyard-land