A game-changer for Majuro’s onshore tuna industry

BY GIFF JOHNSON
Marshall Islands Correspondent

 MAJURO, Marshall Islands — A major development in the pipeline could transform tuna transshipment in Majuro to create dozens of new jobs in on-shore fish handling and processing.

For decades, nearly 100 percent of tuna transshipment in Majuro has been purse seiners offloading their tuna to large carrier vessels anchored in the lagoon. The Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority’s effort with local tuna processing companies to bring more tuna to unload at dockside into freezer containers has barely made a dent in the lagoon transshipment operation.

Only about 5% of all tuna moving through Majuro annually is transshipped on shore. The goal is to increase the shore unloading of tuna to 30 percent of the total, which would change Majuro’s position from a bystander collecting fees from transshipment vessels to a player in this aspect of the tuna value chain. With Majuro developing over the past 10 years as the world’s busiest tuna transshipment port, hundreds of thousands of tons of tuna move through Majuro annually from fishing vessels bound for canneries.

One part of the challenge to shifting more tuna to shore unloading is the time it takes to load a freezer container on shore compared to transshipping tuna directly from purse seiner to carrier in the lagoon. Currently done by hand at the Pacific International Inc. dock, it takes close to twice the time as transshipment to a carrier. For the purse seiners, time is money, so around 95 percent of the transshipment in Majuro continues on carriers.

Enter the new development: The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, under a European Union-supported FISH4ACP program, is partnering with Pacific International Inc. (PII) to purchase specialized tuna loading machinery that is expected to be a game changer for tuna transshipment.

“The use of a tuna loader in Marshall Islands has the potential to contribute to economic growth, job creation, and the sustainable development of its fishing industry,” said Dr. Sergio Bolasina, the FAO’s national project consultant for the FISH4ACP project.

PII CEO Jerry Kramer agrees. The mechanized tuna loading equipment is expected to greatly reduce the time it takes to load freezer containers with tuna and will enable more tuna to be loaded into each container, Kramer said.

PII has developed its dock as a service point for the fishing industry, with net repair equipment, tuna unloading capability, and other services. Kramer said PII is also aiming to expand to include a large freezer storage facility at the dock to accommodate tuna.

PII is already the domestic transshipment agent for sustainably caught tuna that is sold to US retail giant Walmart, another piece of the tuna value that the Marshall Islands has found a way to gain a toehold in. Virtually all elements of the tuna value chain have historically been controlled by distant water fishing nations and large international tuna supply corporations, leaving the islands to collect licensing fees.

This is now changing as the Marshall Islands pushes its way into the tuna value chain, with PII playing a lead role in Majuro.

A new mechanized tuna loader, known as the “Mark 2,” is currently being manufactured and is expected to be delivered late this year. It is being purchased at a cost of over $768,000. About two-thirds of the cost is being covered by the FAO and the balance by PII.

The primary goal of increasing tuna transshipment business on shore is to create more jobs and increase the amount of revenue going into the local economy.

 “Tuna loaders streamline the process of unloading tuna from fishing vessels, making the operation more efficient,” said Bolasina. “This can lead to quicker turnaround times for vessels, allowing them to spend more time at sea fishing rather than waiting in port.”

This is a critical issue for vessels and one of the reasons that at the present time, very few unload their entire catch on shore. Most vessels that offload tuna on shore split their loads between shore-based freezer containers and carrier vessels anchored in the lagoon in order to speed the process so the fishing boats can return to fishing sooner.

Job creation is a big part of the expected benefits from this new development once the Mark 2 goes into play in Majuro.

 “The operation and maintenance of tuna loader facilities requires manpower, which can create employment opportunities for local residents,” said Bolasina. “This can have positive effects on the local economy by providing jobs and income for individuals and families.”

The joint FAO-PII investment in tuna loader facilities is part of modernizing RMI tuna-related infrastructure, making it more attractive for fishing vessels to utilize Majuro port, said Bolasina. “This can help attract more fishing activity to the region, further boosting economic growth,” he added. mbj