3 Mar 2014

US disaster funding for fisheries to allocate $1m to American Samoa

7:47 am on 3 March 2014

Commercial fishery businesses in American Samoa affected by the 2009 tsunami are set to receive assistance through United States Congress funding.

The US Fisheries Services has announced 75 million US dollars will be allocated to six fisheries across the United States that were declared fishery disasters by the Department of Commerce.

The executive assistant to the American Samoa Governor, Iulogologo Joseph Pereira, says 1 million US dollars is being allocated to the territory, mostly for those affected by the 2009 tsunami.

He says the territory's Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources will be the most likely agency to administer and distribute the funds, in consultation with the Western Central Pacific Fisheries Management Council.