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Amata Pushes for American Samoa Fishing Access

March 15, 2017

Washington, D.C. –Wednesday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata at a Natural Resources subcommittee hearing today, strenuously objected to the lack of local input, transparency and scientific scrutiny in the marine monument designation process. The Congresswoman's sentiments were echoed by her colleagues on the committee, as well as the majority of the expert panelists who were invited to participate. Click here to read the committee's full report.

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Amata at Marine Monuments Hearing

Congresswoman Amata addresses the panel during Wednesday's hearing on Marine Ntl Monuments

"For over a millennium our people have fished these waters. For some bureaucrat in Washington to make the decision to close off these vast swaths of ocean to our people without even consulting the local leadership or industry, so that they may appease their environmental masters, is unacceptable;" said Amata. "The environmental colonialists have gone too far in expanding these protected areas, to the severe detriment of American Samoa, and I am glad that my colleagues on the committee have seen the need to address the issue," continued the Congresswoman.

Most notably, the Remote Pacific Islands Marine Monument, which is part of American Samoa's traditional fishing grounds, have been expanded and closed completely to U.S. fishing interests, while remaining open to our foreign competitors who fish for these migratory species without the conservation methods and regulations followed by our fishermen.

"I want to thank both Chairman Lamborn and Ranking Member Huffman for allowing me to participate in today's subcommittee hearing, so that I could explain the importance of access to these waters for our fishing fleet, as well as Mr. Hallman, whose testimony today was very insightful," concluded Amata.

Click here to read the letter to President Trump.

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