RESIDENTS of Noro township in the Western Province are concerned about newly imported canned tuna products from overseas that are now selling in shops.
They deemed these products will have a big impact on the locally produced SolTuna products, which are regarded as the best in the Pacific and even the world.
The Chinese canned tuna products labeled as ‘Pacific Tuna,’ include red label dark tuna in chili, orange and blue label white flake tuna and a dark blue label plain tuna variant similar to SolTuna’s flagship Solomon Blue product.
A concerned of Noro told Solomon Star that as a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Solomon Islands operates under international trade rules, which may allow for competition.
However, the resident said industry observers suggest that SolTuna should consider filing complaints or securing patents for its branding and logos to safeguard its marketing labels.
Another concerned resident is calling on the Western Provincial Administration to intervene by restricting the sale and distribution of foreign canned tuna products under provincial business licenses.
“Western Provincial Administration should issue a stop order to any business houses operating under a Western Province license to prevent them from selling or distributing any other canned tuna, apart from SolTuna products,” the resident said.
Some residents suggested a broader approach to import policies, stating that only products not locally produced should be imported.
“I think it would be wise to just import canned beef, lamb and pork products since there is no local manufacturing of such products in Solomon Islands. Fruits and vegetables that are available locally should also not be imported to help our local producers and suppliers sell their produce and earn money for themselves,” the resident said.
Other residents said policymakers must wake up and address this issue and consider imposing huge tariffs on imported products that are also produced domestically.
Another resident emphasised the superior quality of SolTuna products and the need to protect local manufacturers.
“SolTuna products are the best even in Australia. Nothing beats our own products. Responsible authorities in the Western Province should try to stop the sale of imported tuna if they want to promote our own products,” the resident added.
However, some argued that each and every customer is at liberty to choose which tuna product to buy because after all, affordability is an important factor for consideration.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Gizo
