Samoa Ports
The Samoa Ports Authority (SPA) was established in 1999 as a state-owned enterprise. SPA has a legacy of operational and institutional practices carried over from when the ports were managed by the Ministry of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure. Many of these practices have not kept pace with modern port management, reducing the efficiency of service delivery to port users and revenue to SPA. Suboptimal infrastructure investment and asset leasing decisions cannot financially sustain SPA, and create additional obligations for operation and maintenance (O&M). License agreements to lease land and port facilities provide little yield, undermining SPA’s revenue.
Operational characteristics include acceptable dwelling times for ships in port, occasional queuing of vessels, and limited operation times. Vessels are increasing in size, making berthing operations more difficult and less safe. Ships berthed at the main wharf are subject to excessive movement because of the intrusion of swell into the harbor, especially during the wet season, which poses operational and safety hazards during loading and unloading. Low demand in the local economy has led shipping lines that formerly operated direct international container services to consolidate their operations through transshipment via Fiji. As a result, import and export container movements have plateaued.
The government has also identified as a priority the development of a proposed new port at a greenfield site at Vaiusu Bay. The Vaiusu port site is located close to the country's main Apia port in Matautu, which had recently been expanded with financial aid from Japan. The government had entered into preliminary agreements with private tuna processing companies to occupy the existing container yard and warehouse space at Matautu Port for tuna loining. The construction of new tuna processing plants would limit the container yard space, which could impact the port’s container throughput and port productivity. Moreover, the introduction of tuna processing could lead to berth congestion, as fishing vessels occupy the port’s berthing facilities to discharge their catch.
The Government of Samoa requested technical assistance (TA) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to prepare a ports development master plan. The proposed TA was included in the ADB country operations business plan, 2015–2017 for Samoa, and is consistent with ADB’s Pacific Approach, 2010–2014. The study carried out an initial engineering and economic assessment for a proposed new greenfield port development at Vaiusu Bay to provide a preliminary indication of its viability.
The TA was implemented from 12 May 2015 to 31 December 2018 with two extensions to support the feasibility study and due diligence of the priority investment. The TA demonstrated that it would not be economically and financially viable to implement the Vaiusu Bay Port in the short- to medium-term. Further challenges lie in mobilizing the large financing requirement, and potential environmental and social impacts. Recognizing current development constraints and the government’s long-term vision, a phased development strategy was recommended, comprising short, mediumand long-term interventions.
Having recently launched the Tui-Samoa Cable, the Samoa Submarine Cable Company and TE SubCom started building a new submarine Cable Depot in Samoa to service the South Pacific Marine Maintenance Agreement. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi said 01 March 2018 "TE Subcom have placed their faith in Samoa to construct a new cable depot in the Port of Apia, to service and maintain more than 20 cable systems measuring over 51,000 km of telecommunications and power cable systems in the Pacific region. ... It may now be appropriate for Samoa to consider its future plans to develop the Vaiusu Bay port for general cargo and cruise ships leaving the Matautu wharf exclusively for the submarine cable depot activity and the export fishing industry."
Samoa's incoming new Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa told Reuters 20 May 2020 that she plans to shelve the China-backed Vaiusu Bay Port project, saying that there are more pressing needs than building the new port. The proposed construction of the wharf in Vaiusu Bay has been a divisive issue in Samoa, playing a part in April elections where long-serving leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi lost his parliamentary majority.
Fiame, who became leader after Samoa's top court ruled against a challenge to the election result, told Reuters there were more pressing needs than building a new port. "Samoa is a small country. Our seaports and our airports cater for our needs," Fiame said by phone from Samoa's capital, Apia. "It's very difficult to imagine that we would need the scale that's being proposed under this particular project when there are more pressing projects that the government needs to give priority to."
Her stance marks a decisive break from Tuilaepa, whom Beijing has counted on as a close ally of China over his two decades as leader. "The level of indebtedness of our government to the government of China was a pressing issue for voters," said Fiame, a former deputy prime minister who joined the opposition FAST party last year. Her government would maintain good relations with both China and the US, she added.
China is the single largest creditor in Samoa, a country of 200,000 people, accounting for about 40 percent, or some $US160m, of the small nation's external debts. Tuilaepa haf previously said Pacific countries only have themselves to blame if they fall into unsustainable debt. He has frequently described the Vaiusu wharf in parliament as a "China-funded project" that would create much-needed jobs and increase trade and tourism. Port designs and funding arrangements have not been disclosed.
The project was in the final stages of negotiation with China, with work set to commence when international borders reopen, according to a January 2021 report in the Samoa Observer, citing Tuilaepa. At the request of the Samoan government, China was discussing with the Samoan side the feasibility of the construction of Vaiusu Port, with an aim to improve Samoa's infrastructure, boost local economic development and create jobs. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated "China always follows the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and the principle of sincerity, real results, affinity and good faith, in advancing mutually-beneficial cooperation with Samoa and other Pacific island countries, and provide assistance to the best of its ability with no political strings attached. Our bilateral cooperation is based on mutual respect and equal consultation, and plays a positive role in promoting economic and social development and livelihood improvement in island countries."
The project threatened to spark a waterfront contest in the Pacific as the United States and its allies respond to China's growing regional influence. Facilities that could be turned into a military asset in hostile times pose a challenge to the US and its regional allies, which have dominated international influence in the world's largest ocean since 1945.
Samoa - Maritime Surveillance Unit
Since Samoa's independence in 1962 no military has been formed, however, there is a small police force and a Maritime Surveillance Unit for internal security. The Maritime Surveillance Unit is equipped with small arms, and maintained one Pacific class patrol boat, the Nafanua. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Samoa Police Services carry out joint operations in ensuring fisheries resources are conserved and maintained. It is an offence to operate an establishment for the process, trade and market of any fish without the required licence under the Fisheries Management Act 2016. In accordance to a 1962 Treaty of Friendship, New Zealand is responsible for defense. American Samoa, a distinct and separate jurisdiction, has consistently enlisted more soldiers per capita than any other United States territory or state. With many naval bases supporting the Pacific fleets, the naval Activities of Guam is the closest military base outside of Andersen naval base to American Samoa. The Nafanua II was gifted to Samoa by Australia under its AU$2 billion 30-year Pacific Maritime Security Programme. Samoa is one of 12 Pacific Island nations (as well as Timor Leste) recipients of that vessel type, which are being delivered between 2018–2023. Nafanua II, the first Guardian Class patrol boat delivered to Samoa, crashed into a reef in August 2021. Working with the Government of Samoa, crews from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Juniper (WLB 201) and USCGC Joseph Gerczak (WPC 1126) conducted security patrol operations in Samoa’s exclusive economic zone throughout February 2022, to protect fisheries and other natural resources. The Juniper and Joseph Gerczak crews helped fill the operational presence needed to deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing while Samoa’s Nafanua II patrol boat is down. The cutters have been underway in Oceania supporting Operation Aiga, designed to integrate Coast Guard capabilities and operations with the United States’ Pacific Island Country partners in order to effectively and efficiently protect shared national interests, combat IUU fishing and strengthen maritime governance on the high seas. The United States Coast Guard and the Government of Samoa have a history of partnership; in 2019, the Coast Guard cutters Walnut and Joseph Gerczak visited Apia Harbor and conducted patrol operations with officials from Samoa’s Ministry of Police and Ministry of Fisheries on board. In 2021, the crew of the CGC Oliver Berry conducted similar patrols while Samoa’s patrol boat underwent repairs. “Operation Aiga is named that for a reason. Aiga means family in Samoan and that’s how we view our Pacific neighbours,” says U.S. Ambassador to Samoa, Ambassador Udall. “This is real partnership. Together we can stop those who seek to steal valuable resources that simply don’t belong to them.” Samoa’s lone patrol boat, Nafanua II, was declared ‘beyond economic repair’ 04 March 2022 and will not return to service. Accordingly, the Samoan and Australian governments were looking at options for disposal for the vessel which was only commissioned in 2019. Samoa was one of the first Pacific states to trade its legacy Pacific patrol boat for a replacement Guardian class vessel. According to a joint press statement issued by the Australian High Commission and the Samoan Government “Samoa and Australia were saddened by the unfortunate grounding of Samoa’s Guardian-class Patrol Boat, Nafanua II in August last year. Technical specialists from Australia were contracted to undertake the successful salvage operation, which had minimal environmental impact. Following its arrival in Cairns, a thorough assessment of Nafanua II was undertaken. This assessment found the vessel to be beyond economical repair. Ownership of Nafanua II is being transferred from the Government of Samoa to the Australian Government as we look at options for disposal. Australia remains a committed maritime security partner for Samoa, continuing to provide support to ensure the ongoing protection of Samoa’s Exclusive Economic Zone, including through collaboration with regional partners. Australia is working closely with Samoa to address Samoa’s maritime security needs. Australia is proud to partner with our Pacific family to enhance and coordinate continued maritime regional security.” Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affair, stated 02 June 2022 "that we would announce today a replacement Guardian-class patrol boat to replace the Nafanua II. I know that this will occur in about, next year, so we obviously have some production time, but we do understand how important these maritime assets are to island nations." The vessel is set to replaced Prime Minister Fiame: "Can we all clap? Yeah. Can I just say that our Government is very appreciative of this further development in our partnership with Australia. I think it's very generous on the part of the Australian Government and people that they are gifting as yet another patrol boat, despite the unfortunate circumstances of our last boat. And I hope that the lessons learned from that unfortunate appearance will help us ensure that we can keep these assets that are generously gifted by our partners and especially in a very critical area of our maritime security." "|
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