Pago Pago Harbour, US Samoa – by Gary

 

Pago Pago US Samoa is a large natural harbour surrounded by steep, high and lushly vegetated mountains.  For many years, particularly during WWII, it was an important US naval base – but it has since been abandoned.  Popular wisdom is that yachties should give the place a wide berth on account of the major tuna fishery and cannery located there, making it a very polluted, stinky and generally objectionable place to be.  In addition it is said to be a very windy with poor holding.

So far in our visit we can confirm the windiness (yep it gets bloody windy here!!!), but luckily we have not had trouble with the anchor dragging (so far).  And as for being polluted and stinky – well we have been in many far worse places.  We reckon its a very picturesque location, and the canneries and constant fishing boat traffic just serve to make it even more interesting.  Apparently the fishery has decreased considerably in size in recent years, we had originally been told this was because of over-fishing, but others suggest it is more about the rising cost of labour and the partial transference of cannery operations to SE Asia.  Whatever the case, there is still a fair bit of fish processing happening here, and the fishing fleet is truly impressive.

A partial view of the canneries.  Apparently one has closed, with two players remaining.

The canneries occupy parts of the former US naval base.  I reckon this ship hauling facility is related to that former use.

The tuna boats come in all shapes and sizes, but these monsters predominate.  The high crows nest (presumably with boat controls) is standard equipment...

… as is the spotter helicopter.  They are used to locate the fast moving schools of tuna.

They are very impressive vessels, with long waterlines and big engines guaranteeing plenty of speed.  Those poor tuna don't stand much of a chance.

They employ seine nets, which are laid out around a school of tuna with the assistance of a separate small powerful launch which slides off the back of the main ship.  Just the nets alone are said to be worth in excess of a million dollars.

Not all the boats are that large or sophisticated – it seems these much smaller vessels are still viable.  You can kinda guess they are not paying huge amounts in labour.

From the number of boats rafted up and in-harbour we gathered it was not tuna high season.  On the knoll above these boats is the 'Governors' Mansion'.  So far we haven't been received there.

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