KOLONIA, Pohnpei - On April 22, 2005 a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Tuna Commission Headquarter site in Kolonia, marking the beginning of the constructions for the Pacific Tuna Commission Headquarters.
On behalf of Pohnpei State and the FSM, Lieutenant Governor Jack E. Yakana welcomes the participants to the brief ceremony. Yakana stated during the ceremony that he is proud to be a Pohnpeian. Pohnpei accommodates the capital of the FSM and Pohnpei is also accommodating the Tuna Commission Headquarters. Yakana believed that the two aspects would increase Pohnpei's visability on the world map. He said he believed that being the home of the Pacific Tuna Commission Headquarters could make Pohnpei more identifiable to the eyes of the world. Yakana is sure that through the guidance of the traditional leaders and the government, the construction of the headquarter will not be any trouble.
Secretary Sebastian Anefel congratulates Pohnpei for providing space for the Tuna Commission Headquarters. He too believes that with the FSM Capital and the Tuna Commission Headquarters, Pohnpei will be more visible on the map. The conservation and management of those highly migratory fish will be based in Pohnpei. The Tuna Commission is a major fishing industry according to Anefel and Pohnpei must be proud to be a foundation of such large industry.
The Ambassador from the People's Republic of China states that within seven months the Tuna Commission Headquarter structure will be complete and ready for a ribbon cutting ceremony. The constructions of the Tuna Commission Headquarters will be done by the Jiangsu Provincial Construction Engineering Co. according to the Ambassador and they will be using the latest models and materials to construct the structure. Upon completion, the FSM will have another token of friendship from the government of the people's republic of China. Like the FSM-China Friendship Center in Palikir, the Tuna Commission Headquarters will be another complex the FSM will be proud of. The Ambassador states that within seven months another gathering will take place at the construction site, only this time it will be for the opening of the building.