Congresswoman, Governor, Senate President, Speaker Meet with DOI Leadership

April 23, 2026 Press Release Amata and DOI Officials Tour StarKist Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata, Governor Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula, President of the Senate Tuaolo Manaia E. Fruean, and Speaker of the House Savali Talavou Ale met with Deputy Secretary of the Interior Kate McGregor, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular, International, and Ocean Affairs William Hague to reiterate the shared concerns and unity of American Samoa’s elected leaders regarding seabed mining in the U.S. EEZ and urge that the people of American Samoa should benefit from royalties for any activity that the federal government proceeds with over their local opposition. Also discussed were maintaining a better communication between the DOI and American Samoa regarding seabed mining, as well as federal funding of infrastructure, US Coast Guard cutters, and federal highways. Image StarKist Group Photo See more photos here “This was a productive and helpful discussion and I appreciate the opportunity to have a part in bringing together our Governor, Senate President, House Speaker, and two key senior leaders of the Department of the Interior in one room to go over these important topics. Thank you to each one for taking part so all viewpoints and priorities were heard for a fuller understanding by each of these leaders to achieve the best possible policy results for our people,” said Congresswoman Amata. StarKist Visit Congresswoman Amata, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Kate McGregor, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular, International, and Ocean Affairs William Hague also visited the StarKist facility and employees. The employees sang, and DOI leadership was briefed on operations and the recent expansions in products and packaging. Thank you to Injoo Ha, General Manager, StarKist; Michael McDonald, American Samoa Port Administration; Brett Butler, former General Manager of StarKist; Joe Hamby, CEO, Cape Fisheries Holdings; Tufuga Fa'afo'i Palepua, Senior Manager, StarKist. “Every time I go to our StarKist facility, I’m so touched by the prayer and singing of our Samoan people, and once again I was proud of them all for being such a great representation of our people to Deputy Secretary McGregor and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Hague,” said Aumua Amata. “Thank you to everyone working there who had a part in welcoming us, guiding them through the operations, and showcasing the importance of this industry to our islands and its role in our nation’s food security.” ### Issues : Fisheries