60 Sealord jobs to go at Nelson plant

60 hoki processing jobs are likely to go at Sealord’s Nelson factory.

After a 12 month review, Sealord informed staff yesterday that their Kirimi Line (crumbed fish bites) operation was no longer commercially viable due to offshore competition.

E tū food sector Industry Coordinator Chas Muir said that many workers were gutted about the decision.

“These are good jobs for good people,” Chas said.

“Some workers have been there for several years, and it’s through no fault of their own that hoki processing is this line is no longer viable for Sealord in New Zealand.”

Chas said that the problem was that some quota holders were instead sending raw product to be processed in China, for sale mainly in Japan and Hong Kong, undercutting New Zealand production.

“Sealord’s hoki customer can get a cheaper final product because our exporting rules are not set up to best help the New Zealand economy.

“It’s cheaper and easier for many fishing operations to make a quick buck flicking off fish for processing in China. Never mind the impact of employment and overall prosperity in New Zealand.

Chas said that the government needed to take responsibility in combatting the negative impacts of our commodity economy.

“We strongly believe that New Zealand fish should be caught by New Zealand fishers and processed at sea or on land here by New Zealand workers. To allow premium fish such as New Zealand hoki to be harvested in New Zealand waters and to be used to provide jobs in China and not here in nonsense. Not only is this happening but it is allowing Chinese fish processers to undercut New Zealand processing operations such as the existing case at Sealord.

“Quota owners don’t own the fish – New Zealanders own the fish. Allowing the quota owners to maximise profit without considering the impact on Kiwi jobs is just irresponsible.”

Chas added that consumers in New Zealand and beyond usually weren’t aware that fish processing is happening offshore.

“In the supermarket, whether in Nelson or Tokyo, the customer can pick up two different packets of ‘New Zealand hoki’ and be none the wiser that one product has never left our exclusive economic zone, keeping Kiwis in jobs, while the other hasn’t even been onshore in New Zealand outside of a cardboard box.

“If we don’t take action against the outsourcing of value-adding in fish production and right across our economy, we’re just going to keep seeing job losses.”

ENDS

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