Fishing Bill a major step towards fixing industry problems

The Mari­time Uni­on says the passing of a bill today 31 July 2014 reform­ing the fish­ing industry is a major step in fix­ing ser­i­ous prob­lems.

The Fish­er­ies (For­eign Charter Ves­sels and Oth­er Mat­ters) Amend­ment Bill was passed today in Par­lia­ment, after recent con­cerns that delays would see it pushed down the list until next year.

Mari­time Uni­on of New Zea­l­and Nation­al Sec­ret­ary Joe Fleet­wood says the bill is cul­min­a­tion of many years of work.

“The exploit­a­tion and abuse which have gone on aboard these ships of shame will remain a stain on New Zealand’s his­tory.”

Mr Fleet­wood says the reflag­ging of FCVs under the New Zea­l­and flag under the new law will improve stand­ards in the industry but prop­er enforce­ment was required.

He says the Mari­time Uni­on had assisted for­eign crews, and advoc­ated for jobs for New Zea­l­and work­ers in a high pro­ductiv­ity, value added industry, for many years.

New Zea­l­and had become the focus of media atten­tion in the United States after a major invest­ig­at­ive art­icle in the busi­ness press exposed the prac­tices where for­eign fish­ing crews had been mis­treated, abused and exploited.

The Uni­on had also met with United States State Depart­ment Ambas­sad­or at Large Luis Cde Baca dur­ing his vis­it to New Zea­l­and to invest­ig­ate inter­na­tion­al forced labour and human traf­fick­ing in the fish­ing industry.

“The Mari­time Uni­on will con­tin­ue work­ing as part of a glob­al cam­paign by the Inter­na­tion­al Work­ers’ Trans­port Fed­er­a­tion to improve work­ing con­di­tions and stand­ards in the fish­ing industry.”