Smith: Ship-jumping sign of woeful standards

The first step to fixing the problem that has seen 62 foreign fishermen jump ship in New Zealand since November is to hold vessels fishing in New Zealand waters to appropriate standards for their crew, United Future’s Murray Smith said today.

“It is also about decency. We’re not a Third World country and we should not allow Third World practises on land or sea in our commercial sectors,” Mr Smith said.

“Clearly one of the major reasons these men are jumping ship is because of the awful conditions they live and work in,” he said.

“And quite aside from the fact that we shouldn’t allow virtual slave labour in our backyard, we are undermining our own best interests,” Mr Smith said.

“Thousands of New Zealand fishing jobs are going begging in these joint ventures, and quite clearly they are being filled by disgruntled and underpaid foreign nationals.”

He renewed United Future’s call for an end to Third World pay rates for those fishing in New Zealand waters.

“If we even up the pay rates, then there will be more incentive to use New Zealand crew on foreign-owned vessels.”

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