The Honolulu based Western Pacific Fishery Management Council says the desperate times faced by the American Samoa longline fleet are being felt across the region.
American Samoa's longline fleet owners say they intend selling their boats because the sector is no longer economic.
They also say subsidised Chinese boats are undermining their profitability.
The Council says catches of albacore in the region have doubled since 2000.
It says there is an increased global catch that is contributing to an over-supply to markets like the StarKist Samoa cannery.
They say lower returns have been compounded by major hikes in fuel charges.
The Council says it hopes to see the American Samoa longline fishery diversify beyond heavy reliance on cannery albacore.
