Court upholds three felony sex charges against Okesene Alo Page 3 Arrested Thai activist getting S. Korean human rights award Page 10 Former FBI Director Mueller to lead Marine soldiers of Fort Stewart, Georgia celebrated the ARMY Asia-American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month at Club Stewart May 17th, 2017 — honoring their culture, traditions and history. The Asia-Pacific Trump-Russia probe Islander observance was sponsored and hosted by 3rd Sustainment Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division. See Page 12 more photos inside. [Courtesy photo] C M Y K ONLINE @ SAMOANEWS.COM DAILY CIRCULATION 7,000 PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA THURSDAY MAY, 18 2017 $1.00 Greenpeace USA says “poor ranking” of StarKist canned tuna is not the fault of American Samoa’s cannery workers by Fili Sagapolutele Last month global environmental Of the 20 canned tuna product Samoa News Correspondent group, Greenpeace USA, released ranked by Greenpeace, StarKist Solofua isi he “poor ranking” of its second-ever canned tuna ranking, “Chunk Light Tuna” was placed last StarKist Co., canned tuna which placed Tri Marine’s product — at the bottom of the list. Green- product “is not the fault Ocean Naturals at 4th place, while peace’s verdict says, “Failed again! of Samoan workers” criticizing the nation’s three largest StarKist continues its trend of ocean moliaga at Tthe American Samoa processing US brands — Chicken of the Sea, destruction.” (See Samoa News edi- plant, but the company itself as well Bumble Bee, and StarKist — of tion Apr. 19th for details.) as its owner, Dongwon Industries, continuing to hold the industry back Placing the StarKist tuna product says John Hocevar, director of Ocean from the sweeping changes that are at the bottom of the list “kind of kills mamafa Campaign at Greenpeace USA. desperately needed. (Continued on page 2) fa’asaga ia Okesene Alo tusia Ausage Fausia O le mae’a ai o le ulua’i iloiloga a le ali’i Leoleo o le Falepuipui a Tamaiti (Juvenile Detention Center - JDC) ia Okesene Alo, lea sa fa’ataunu’uina i luma o le fa’amasinoga C M fa’aitumalo i le taeao ananafi, na faia ai loa e Y K le afioga i le ali’i fa’amasino ia Fiti Sunia le fa’aiuga, e tu’u atu ai moliaga mamafa e 3 o lo o tu’uaia ai e le malo ia Alo. E fa’aauau la latou iloiloga i luma o le fa’amasinoga maualuga, ae o isi moliaga e 10 o lo o totoe ai i le pepa o tagi sa fa’aulu e le malo, ua solofua e le fa’amasinoga. I le mae’a ai ona teena e le fa’amasinoga fa’aitumalo o moliaga o le faia o uiga mataga i tama’ita’i laiti fa’asaga ia Alo i le masina na te’a nei, na toe faila ai loa e le malo la latou tagi i le 2 vaiaso talu ai, ma fa’atulaga ai loa le ulua’i iloiloga e pei ona fa’ataunu’uina i le taeao ananafi. O le tama’ita’i loia ia Kristy Dunn na tula’i mo le malo ae o le tama’ita’i loia ia Sharron On May 11, 2017, Dr. Elekosi Falelua Lafitaga graduated with a Phd. — Doctor of Philosophy degree — from UC Rancourt na tula’i mo Alo. Berkley. His focus is Biblical Studies and primarily on the New Testament. O moliaga e 3 o lo o tu’uaia ai Alo ua tofu As part of his Doctorate study, he focused his dissertation on apocalyptic discourse in the Gospel of Matthew inte- atu i luma o le fa’amasinoga maualuga e aofia grating conceptual metaphor theory and social rhetorical analyses. ai le faiaiga ma se teineititi e laititi i lalo o le Pictured here is Dr. Elekosi Lafitaga with his parents Reverend Elder Falelua and Ieta Lafitaga of Kanana Fou tulafono (rape), moliaga o le tagofia o itutinosa CCCAS Hawaii, and his uncle HTC Sili Kerisiano Sataua of Fagasa. Not pictured is Elekosi’s wife, Falenaoti Fano Lafitaga of Fagaalu. Dr. Lafitaga and his wife Fale will return to serve the EFKAS at the Kanana Fou theological (Faaauau itulau B6) seminary. Malo finau. [Courtesy photo] Page 2 samoa news, Thursday May, 18 2017 Some of the performers that entertained the crowd during the ARMY Asia-American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month event held at Fort Steward, Georgia, May 17th, 2017 — honoring their culture, traditions and history. The Asia-Pacific Islander observance was sponsored and hosted by 3rd Sustainment Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division. [Courtesy photo] Samoan workers — are not tise in these issues.” tuna products. ➧ doing a good job”, workers and Asked for reaction to Faist’s As alleged in the lawsuit Greenpeace USA says … family members says, adding comments, Hocevar told Samoa filed by Walmart, Hocevar said Continued from page 1 that cannery workers makes News yesterday that Green- “it appears that Starkist may the morale of Samoan workers” News in the past several weeks. minimum wage, and are hard peace assessed twenty of the have conspired with industry at StarKist Samoa cannery, Additionally, the lower workers, but an international largest canned tuna brands front groups and other tuna according to some workers and ranking of the StarKist tuna group’s low score “is a let available in the US. companies in an attempt to family members of cannery product, “appears to make it down for Samoan workers, who “For each brand, we looked block more sustainable tuna workers, who contacted Samoa sound that they — the local are doing their job and doing it at the companies’ sustainability from entering the US market. honestly every day.” policies, traceability, the health Our ocean deserves better than Responding to a Samoa of the tuna stocks, and fishing that, and so do the people who News request for reaction or methods used,” he explained. depend on it for a living.” comments on local workers “We examined what the The Washington Post yes- concerns, Hocevar said, “To companies do to ensure their terday published a story on be clear, this poor score is not tuna is legal, and that the fish- the Walmart lawsuit, which the fault of Samoan cannery ermen who caught it were states that the tuna companies workers — it is a result of deci- treated fairly. “Of all twenty sought to resist pressure from sions made at the company’s brands we evaluated, Starkist environmental groups such headquarters in Pittsburgh, scored the lowest. Starkist’s as Greenpeace. Those groups and by their parent company sustainability policies are were pushing to outlaw fishing Dongwon in [South] Korea.” vague and weak, and there is methods that ensnare other ani- “In fact, it is the workers — very little information available mals besides the tuna, including including those in canneries — to customers. endangered sea turtles and that we want to see treated with The company’s tuna is sharks. dignity and respect throughout caught in ways that kill large “Executives from Bumble the company’s supply chain,” amounts of sharks, sea tur- Bee, Chicken of the Sea, and Hocevar said yesterday. “It is tles and other marine life — StarKist were concerned that up to Dongwon and Starkist to including juvenile tuna,” he a switch to a more sustain- ensure that happens from the pointed out. able method of fishing would fishing vessels to the canneries Hocevar stressed that all decrease supply and put to the trucks delivering prod- tuna brands were assessed by pressure on their margins,” ucts to stores around the globe.” the same criteria “and we were according to the lawsuit as StarKist corporate spokes- pleased to see that several reported by the Washington person Michelle Faist told brands had made considerable Post. Samoa News last month after progress”, however, StarKist Samoa News has been the Greenpeace ranking was was not among them.” reporting on the price fixing released, that the company “Starkist and its parent com- case in the past two years, which declined to participate in this pany Dongwon are too large currently has more than 1,500 Greenpeace survey, which to take such a casual approach plaintiffs — including major StarKist found, after a detailed to the responsibility they have companies, such as K-Mart, review, that the “methodology for the fish they sell,” he said. and individuals. The lawsuits [used] was arbitrary, unscien- “It is time for the company to were consolidated last year tific, and did not meet basic get serious about sustainability and are now heard at the fed- standards for a credible research while there are still enough eral court in San Diego under instrument.” fish to support canneries and the “package seafood products “In addition, the survey did processing plants, and to feed antitrust litigation” case. not appear to be constructed people all over the world.” Several plaintiffs — seeking with adherence to any indepen- Hocevar also pointed to a a class action suit — have filed dent protocols or peer review,” story by The Washington Post amended complaints, adding she said. “The survey questions newspaper on the latest law- new allegations to their orig- themselves reflect the public suit, filed recently by Walmart inal complaints. Walmart’s policy agenda of the Green- Inc., against StarKist, Chicken latest court filing is not yet peace organization, and not of the Sea and Bumble Bee available on federal electronic those of any other group in the — the nation’s largest tuna court records, which yesterday scientific and fisheries manage- brands, for alleged price fixing showed several more amended ment communities — groups of package seafood products, complaints filed in the last two with actual standing and exper- which are canned and pouch weeks.