Tri Marine announced that Russel Dunham has joined its vertically integrated tuna group as director of fresh and “ultra low temperature” frozen tuna operations for the central and western Pacific region.
Dunham is the former secretary for the Fiji Tuna Boat Owners Association and CEO of Fiji Fish in Suva. He is well known in the seafood industry for his knowledge and experience in fishing, processing and marketing of high value tuna and for his efforts with the Fijian government and regional agencies to improve fishery management and maximize value of tuna resources. Dunham also played an important role in achieving Marine Stewardship Council certification of the Fijian longline albacore fishery.
He will be responsible for Tri Marine’s sourcing and processing operations in Solomon Islands and American Samoa and for procurement of high quality tuna throughout the Pacific.
“We are very pleased to have Russell on the Tri Marine team,” said Joe Hamby, Tri Marine COO. “There isn’t anyone more professionally prepared for this challenge than Russell. His tremendous experience, industry knowledge, reputation, stakeholder relationships and drive will accelerate the already rapid growth we are experiencing in this non-canning segment of our tuna business. Tri Marine is making important investments in the Pacific. Those investments require competent managers who share the same ideals and values as Tri Marine. Russell is passionate about quality and for doing the right thing. He’s a perfect fit.”
“What’s exciting for me is not just the boats and the facilities but the scale of Tri Marine’s business," said Dunham. “The size of Tri Marine and their credibility complement my own experience and knowledge. I’m looking forward to not only growing the business but spending time with policy makers to find ways to improve management of the fisheries, to embrace economic sustainability and to encourage local unloading and local processing. This is one of the best ways to create jobs and to add benefits to the in the island’s economies, not to mention the absolute best way for fishery officers to closely monitor the fishing boats and their catches.”
