SAUNOAGA AUTU Afioga i le Minisita o Faatoaga & Faigafaiva, Hon. Niuava Eti Leatiogie Malolo Funefeai (Aso Lua 15th April 2025)
Susuga i le Fa’afeagaiga Laupama Solomona, EFKS, Sogi,
Afioga Mr. Guangzhou Qu, Fa’atonu o le FAO mo Atumotu o le Pasefika,
Sui o Komiti o Fono Fa’avae o Itumalo,
Sui o Faifa’atoʻaga ma Paaga,
Talofa lava!
Ou te fa’aleo le agaga o le fa’afetai i lo outou paia ma mamalu ua mafai ona tatou auai fa’atasi i lenei taeao i se tasi o polokalame taua. O le fa’alauiloaina ma le tufatufaina o mailei mo meaituaolo fa’alafua i nisi o itumalo filifilia i Upolu nei.
O lenei fa’amoemoe o se tasi o galuega taua e mo’omia ai lo tatou galulue so’oso’o tau’au ina ia puipui ma una’ia faiga tau fa’atoaga mo taumafa i le tatou atunu’u, e ala i le foia o se tasi o lu’itau ogaoga i a tatou atinaʻe tau fa’atoʻaga — o le fa’ateleina lea o numera o meaituaolo fa’alafua (po’o puaa aivao).
I lo’u tulaga o le Minisita o Faatoʻaga ma Faigafaiva, ou te fia fa’amanatu se tasi o manulauti a le tatou Malo, ina ia una’ia le gafataulimaina o a tatou atina’e tau f’aatoʻaga ina ia si’itia le tamaoaiga o nu’u ma afio’aga i tua.
I le taimi nei, o lo’o tumau pea le avea o meaituaolo fa’alafua ma fa’afitauli ogaoga mo fa’atoʻaga i le tatou atunu’u. Ua fa’aleagaina ai le tele o fa’atoʻaga, fa’aiti’itia ai le mau o taumafa i taimi uma, ma fa’aiti’itia ai tupe maua a faifa’atoʻaga.
E tusa ai ma le Fa’amaumauga mai i sailiiliga tau Fa’atoʻaga i le tausaga 2020, e silia ma le 60 pasene o aiga faifa’atoʻaga ua o latou ta’ua le fa’aletonu i a latou atina’e ona o meaituaolo fa’alafua, ma o se lu’itau ua a’afia ai lo latou naunau mo atina’e mo se soifua manuia.
I ni taumafaiga muamua e tali atu i lea lu’itau, sa galulue fa’atasi ai le tatou Matagaluega o Fa’atoʻaga ma Faigafaiva ma le tatou Fa’alapotopotoga mo Suʻesuʻega Fa’asaienisi a Samoa, i se poloketi fa’ata’itaʻi i le tausaga 2023, ma fa’atutuina ai ni mailei i nisi o itumalo filifilia i Upolu ma Savaii. Sa matua fa’amalieina le taunuuga o lenei poloketi fa’ata’ita’i, ma ausia ai le 80–90 pasene o le sologa lelei o lea galuega.
I le asō, o lea ua tatou toe fa’aauau ma fa’alauteleina le fa’atinoina o galuega mai i le poloketi fa’ata’ita’i. O mailei o le a tufatufaina atu, o le a agai i itumalo i Upolu nei e le’i aofia i le uluai vaega o le poloketi fa’ata’ita’i.
O le vaiaso fou i le Pule Alofa o le Atua, o le a faia fo’i lenei lava tufatufaga mo le tatou motu tele i Salafai. O lo’o tulimata’i pea nofoaga o lo’o matuā afaina pea i meaituaolo fa’alafua, fa’apea nisi o atina’e e le o aofia i lalo o Fono Fa’avae.
O nei mailei o se tasi o foai ei lalo o le poloketi ua taua o le STODAS, o lo’o fa’atupeina e le Iuni a Europa, e ala atu i le FAO, ma o lo’o galulue vavalalata ai ma le tatou Matagaluega o Faatoʻaga ma Faigafaiva.
Ae ou te fia fa’ailoa manino atu — e le mafai ona foʻia atoatoa lenei fa’afitauli, pe a fai o le a tatou fa’alagolago tasi i mailei nei.
O le tu’upaina po’o le fausia lelei o pa puipui mo atina’e tau i meaituaolo, o se vaega taua tele lea mo fuafuaga alualu mamao, e fa’aiti’itia ai le fa’atupula’ia o le aofa’i o meaituaolo ta’aloa ma avea ai ma meaituaolo fa’alafua.
I le lagolagoina o lea fuafuaga alualu mamao, o le a fa’atinoina e le tatou Matagaluega se fuafuaga mo le fausia o se faiga fa’avae, e lima ta’ita’ina ai se tulafono fa’atonutonu e taiala ai galuega ma auala talafeagai mo atina’e tau meaituaolo i Samoa.
O la matou tu’ualalo i lenei taeao, e fa’amoemoe le manuia o lenei taumafaiga i lo tatou galulue fa’atasi, mautu o fa’amaumauga, ma le vaaia lelei o le fa’aaogaina o nei aseta. E fa’aauau pea le galuega a le Matagaluega i le sailia o fesoasoani talafeagai mai a tatou paaga tau atina’e, fa’apea le tu’uina atu o le auaunaga fa’a-faufautua ma fa’amatalaga mo le si’itia o tulaga tau fa’atoaga.
O le a galulue vavalalata le tatou Matagaluega ma sui o Komiti o Fono Fa’avae i Itumalo mo le fa’atuina ma le mata’ituina o nei mailei. Matou te fa’amoemoe tele i la outou lagolagosua ina ia aoga ma fa’aaogaina nei meafaigaluega e tali atu ai i a’afiaga o meaituaolo fa’alafua.
E momoli le fa’afetai tele i le Iuni a Europa ma le FAO mo la outou lagolago faifaipea i le atinaʻeina o si tatou atunu’u o Samoa.
I Komiti o Fono Fa’avae o Itumalo ma nu’u faifa’atoʻaga, fa’afetai tele mo lo outou sao tāua i le unaia o atina’e tau fa’atoaga gafataulimaina, aua se manuia o Samoa ma ona tagata.
O la tatou tiute fai fa’atasi lenei. Ia mautinoa le manuia o lenei polokalame, ma ia fa’aauau ai pea faiga fa’apaaga aua le puipuia o a tatou atina’e, ma ia mau taumafa mo a taeao ma le lumana’i.
I lenei itula, ou te fa’alauiloa aloaia atu ai lenei fesoasoani fa’apea lona tufatufaina i Fono Fa’avae ua filifilia mo Upolu nei.
Fa’afetai, soifua ma ia manuia.
LAUNCHING & DISTRIBUTION OF FERAL PIG TRAPS UNDER THE STODAS PROJECT
KEYNOTE REMARKS – by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries – Hon. Niuava Eti Leatiogie Malolo Funefeai (Tuesday 15th April 2025)
Reverend Laupama Solomona, Congregational Christian Church of Samoa, Sogi,
Mr Guangzhou Qu, FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands,
Members of the District Development Councils
Distinguished Guests, Farmers and Friends,
Talofa lava and warm greetings to you all!
It is both an honour and a privilege, to join you today for the official launch and distribution, of feral pig traps to selected districts here in Upolu. This event represents another important step in our shared efforts, to protect and strengthen our agricultural and food systems, by addressing one of the most persistent threats faced by our farming communities — the prevalence of feral pigs.
As Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, I am proud to reaffirm our Government’s commitment to enhancing the resilience of our agri-foods systems, reducing food loss, and improving the livelihoods of our rural communities.
The growing population of feral pigs continue to pose a serious challenge for our agriculture. They destroy crops, threaten food security, and erode the incomes of hard working farmers. According to the 2020 Agriculture Census, over 60 percent of our farming households identified feral pigs as a major problem — one that directly affects their productivity and well-being.
In the early response to this growing challenge, our Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Scientific Research Organization of Samoa, initiated a pilot programme in 2023 to install feral pig traps in selected districts across Upolu and Savaii. These trials yielded highly promising results, with success rates reaching up to 80–90 percent, and some traps capturing as many as 20 pigs at a time.
Today, we are building on that success. The traps we are distributing will go to districts here in Upolu that were not included in the initial pilot phase. The same will be done for Savaii next week. These are areas where feral pigs continue to devastate crops, and where our farmers are in urgent need of practical solutions.
The traps being distributed today is part of the STODAS Project, or Sustainable Transformation of Domestic Agrifood Systems Project, which aims to enhance our “Agrifood System through Effective Feral Pig Management”, and is made possible through the generous support of the European Union, channeled through the FAO, and implemented in close collaboration with our Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
But let me be clear — the traps alone will not solve the problem.
Fencing of pig farms remains a crucial component of any long-term strategy to manage feral pig populations. Proper fencing not only helps contain domesticated pigs, but also prevents the further spread of feral pig populations into plantation and forested areas.
To support this, our Ministry is currently in the process of developing a national policy and legislative framework, to guide the proper fencing and management of pig farms in Samoa. This policy will set the foundation for responsible pig farming practices, and ensure that our farmers are supported with the right tools, knowledge, and regulatory environment to protect their livelihoods.
Ladies and gentlemen, while today’s distribution marks another step forward, we recognize that the success of this intervention, relies heavily on ongoing monitoring, data collection, and community engagement. We cannot afford to treat this as a one-time activity. This is why our Ministry is working hard to secure the necessary resources, including transport vehicles and technical support, to ensure regular site visits and to provide continued advisory services to our farming communities.
We will work closely with each District Development Council represented here today to install, maintain, and monitor the traps in your respective districts. We are counting on your leadership and support to make this a truly community-led initiative. One that delivers tangible results for our farmers.
In closing, I want to sincerely thank the European Union and the FAO for their continued commitment to Samoa’s development. Your support makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our people.
To our District Development Councils and farming communities — thank you for your partnership and for the critical role you play in shaping a more resilient and sustainable agriculture sector.
It is our shared responsibility to ensure the success of this initiative and to work together to build a resilient agrifood system, one that protects our crops, secures our food, and improves the livelihoods of our people for generations to come.
On that note, it is my pleasure to officially launch and distribute this next round of feral pig traps to the selected District Development Councils in Upolu.
Thank you for your attention.
Soifua ma ia manuia.
Photos by : Taunuuga Toatasi
