Hailed as a game-changing technology for the tuna industry in the Marshall Islands, a tuna loader was officially handed over to the tuna industry and port services company Pacific International Inc. (PII) last Thursday. The new equipment is a major step forward in the RMI’s efforts to bring more value from the multi-billion-dollar tuna industry onshore.
“We want to reshape our tuna industry by dramatically increasing the tuna unloaded at the dock and put into containers for exports — which means more jobs, business and revenue for the local economy,” said Glen Joseph, executive director of the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority.
A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the PII dock last Thursday.
In recent years, Majuro has become one of the world’s leading transshipment ports for tuna. In 2022, 191,000 tons of skipjack tuna passed through this port. Yet only 5,000 tonnes, or about three percent, were landed locally.
Most transshipment takes place between fishing vessels and carrier vessels anchored in Majuro’s lagoon. Other than fees to use the lagoon for the transshipment, it hardly provides any benefits to the local economy.
In 2021, when the Marshall Islands teamed up with the global aquatic development program FISH4ACP, an ambitious plan was hatched to expand local containerization to 30 percent of tuna catches, estimating that this would generate $33 million of direct value added and create over 1,000 jobs.
“The European Union is proud to support the Marshall Islands in unlocking greater value from its world-class tuna industry,” said Barbara Plinkert, Ambassador to the Pacific of the European Union, which is funding FISH4ACP together with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
She added: “This tuna loader is more than equipment — it’s a symbol of our shared commitment to sustainable growth, regional prosperity, and practical partnerships that delivers real results for the Pacific communities.”
“FISH4ACP’s support can provide Marshall Islands with nutritious food, bolster economic growth, boost local employment and safeguard the environment,” said Guangzhou Qu, FAO’s Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands.
“The tuna loader is a concrete example of how technology can help achieving FAO’s global vision of ‘Four Betters’ — better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all Marshallese, leaving no one behind.”
“This tuna loader is making us more competitive with carrier vessels,” said Jerry Kramer, CEO of PII, a local tuna industry and port services business managing the new machine on its dock in Majuro.
“Faster fish loading allows quicker container sealing, reducing exposure to ambient conditions, preserving quality, cutting energy use, and allows us to lower our charge rates,” Kramer explained, adding that PII financed one-third of the tuna loader valued at $610,000 together with FISH4ACP, which funded the remaining two-thirds.
FISH4ACP is an initiative of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States aimed at making fisheries and aquaculture value chains in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific more productive and sustainable. FISH4ACP is implemented by FAO with funding from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.