Protests at plans to exempt ships from New Zealand reflag

The Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) and Rail and Maritime Transport Union of New Zealand have protested at plans to exclude some ships from a law to reflag foreign-owned vessels in the fishing industry.

The MUNZ has had a long-running campaign exposing the poor treatment and conditions for workers on board foreign-owned and chartered fishing vessels operating in New Zealand waters. As a result of the campaign, the government agreed that only New Zealand-flagged fishing vessels should operate in its waters from 2016.

However, an amendment to the Fisheries (Foreign Charter Vessels and Other Matters) Amendment Bill currently going through the New Zealand parliament would exempt Japanese tuna fishers and some iwi quota holders (Maori tribes awarded fishing quota under a past grievances settlement) from the proposed law until 2020.
MUNZ national secretary Joe Fleetwood said that the industry had to be cleaned up "with no exception". The union has also called for the 2016 deadline for the reflag to be brought forward to 2014.

He added that the government, foreign operators and iwi should be training Maori youth for employment in the fisheries industry.

"This is a national resource belonging to all New Zealanders and the industry cannot be allowed to operate in the way it has been in the past," he said.

Wayne Butson, general secretary, Rail and Maritime Transport Union, said: “Our members … have witnessed the appalling conditions on some of these foreign charter vessels when they come in and dock, and as an affiliate of the ITF we have been involved in supporting exploited foreign workers who have managed to escape their boats after abuse.”