Pacific Magazine > Daily News

Fono Considering Ban On Plastic Bags

By Fili Sagapolutele in Pago Pago
Saturday: March 29, 2008

Territorial government officials support a measure to ban fossil-fuel based plastic shopping bags from been distributed to customers by retail stores and markets in American Samoa.

Exempted under the bill are shopping plastic bags produced from non-petroleum-based biodegradable plastic and compostable plastic bags, as verified by the American Samoa Environmental Agency (ASEPA). ASEPA’s legal counsel Nathan Mease told a House of Representatives committee that ASEPA supports the bill because of it protects the territory’s environment and marine life.

Jeremy Goldberg, coordinator with the Coral Reef Advisory Group, said plastic bags takes approximately 500-1,000 years to decompose and can have long lasting and harmful impacts on the marine environment. “Plastic litter annually kills tens of thousands of marine animals when it is ingested and blocks the digestive tract, fills the stomach, and results in malnutrition and starvation,” he told the hearing. “Thousands of sea turtles are annually killed after they mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, a favorite food.”

Besides turtles, other victims of plastic bags are at least 267 different species known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of marine debris including seabirds, seals, sea lions, dolphins, whales and fish, he said. According to Goldberg, numerous efforts are ongoing around the world to address this issue including in some U.S. cities that have either banned or are proposing a ban on plastic bags.

If the House measure is enacted into law, Goldberg said American Samoa would be the first U.S. state or territory to imposed a high level ban on plastic bags. “This legislation would showcase American Samoa as a leader in marine conservation not only in the South Pacific, but throughout all of North America and the Pacific Islands,” he said. “Legislation aimed at minimizing the adverse impacts of plastic bags is strongly endorsed by the Coral Reef Advisory Group and we commend the government for taking such a significant proactive step towards protecting our natural resources.”

American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources Director Ufagafa Ray Tulafono said he supports the bill because of the problems caused by plastic bags to the environment and marine life.

“Plastic bags have severely impacted our marine life, including turtles but especially our coral reefs,” he said and noted that latest research reveals that 60 percent of the territory’s coral reefs are destroyed or damaged and among the culprits is plastic bags.

The bill says that this act goes into affect 180 days after passage by the Fono and approval by the governor, but several lawmakers believe this is not enough time for local businesses to rid themselves of their current supplies and transition into a new law.

Witnesses and some House members asked whether the bill is seeking a complete ban on the importation of fossil-fuel based plastic shopping bags and the selling locally of these plastic bags. The bill only bans the “distribution” locally of plastic bags by stores.

If it’s a complete ban, Mease suggests adding Customs as one of the enforcement agencies, because they are at the point of entry of all shipments into the territory and can confiscate incoming plastic bags.

The House agreed to hold further discussions and possible hearings on the bill to address possible amendments to be added before the bill is reported on the floor for a full vote.