The vice president of StarKist, Michelle Faist, says the main advantage of manufacturing in American Samoa is being eroded, and any further disruption to the direct delivery of fish will be a problem for the canneries.
Cannery, American Samoa Photo: Supplied
More than 30 US tuna boats which were fishing in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean have tied up and are no longer fishing because they don't have licenses.
There is a ban placed by the National Marine Fisheries Service on fishing in the high seas areas and EEZ 's of the US as part of conservation measures.
Michelle Faist says the cannery in American Samoa has full freezers of fish and boats waiting to be unloaded.
She says they are exploring all options including the procurement of fish via reefer vessels, but warns alternate supply sources are limited, expensive and unsustainable over the long term.
