Government needs to get Fishing reform bill passed now

The Mari­time Uni­on is urging the Gov­ern­ment to push through a Bill reform­ing the fish­ing industry.

Mari­time Uni­on of New Zea­l­and Nation­al Sec­ret­ary Joe Fleet­wood says there will be ser­i­ous reper­cus­sions if the Fish­er­ies (For­eign Charter Ves­sels and Oth­er Mat­ters) Amend­ment Bill is not passed in the final sit­ting week of this Par­lia­ment.

Mr Fleet­wood says he is sure both the Gov­ern­ment and the fish­ing industry are aware of the urgency of this legis­la­tion and the need for it to be passed.

“There is multi-party sup­port for this Bill.”

Any fur­ther delays to the Bill exposes fish­ing crews to unac­cept­able danger and dis­ad­vant­age, as well as fur­ther dam­aging the com­mer­cial repu­ta­tion of New Zealand’s fish­ing industry in key export mar­kets, says Mr Fleet­wood.

“Fur­ther inex­plic­able delays to the pas­sage of this legis­la­tion sends a very poor mes­sage about New Zealand’s com­mit­ment to a mod­ern, eth­ic­al fish­ing industry.”

The Mari­time Uni­on is strongly in favour of the Bill’s require­ment that For­eign Charter Ves­sels in the fish­ing industry are reflagged under the New Zea­l­and flag, although it believes the time­frame for intro­duc­tion is too long.