American Samoa is looking for federal government assistance to help remove fishing vessels grounded on the territory's reef.
The Director of Marine and Wildlife Resources, Va'amua Henry Sesepasara, said this was one of the issues being put forward for discussion at this week's meeting of the US Coral reef Task Force.
A grounded vessel in American Samoa Photo: RNZI/Monica Miller
High level delegates from Washington D.C were greeted by Lieutenant Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga, Secretary of Samoan Affairs Mauga Tasi Asuega and Eastern District Governor Alo Dr. Paul Stevenson.
Attendees include the Director of the Office Insular Affairs, the Director of Habitat Conservation and representatives from at least half a dozen other federal agencies.
Va'amua said he hoped federal funding could be secured to help with the local coral programme and to provide scholarships for the territory's youth to study in related areas of expertise overseas.
"One other project that we are going to discuss here is how we can get the Federal Government to help us with resources to remove some of the boats that are on our reef so we can continue to protect and develop our reef here in American Samoa," he said.
