The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft
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TM EDITORIAL Servicing the maritime industry since 1996 Incorporating New Zealand Workboats, NZ Professional Skipper & Oceans ISSN 1176-3078 ISSN 1176-8665 is published by: VIP Publications, 4 Prince Regent Drive, Half Moon Bay, Auckland 2012 Ph 09 533 4336 Fax 09 533 4337 Email keith@skipper.co.nz advertising@skipper.co.nz website: www.skipper.co.nz Editor: Keith Ingram Manager: Vivienne Ingram Editorial assistant: Mark Barratt-Boyes Contributors: Baden Pascoe Carol Forsyth Michael Pignéguy Hugh Ware, USA Kelvin Hieatt Stuart Cawker Lindsay Wright Alan Moore R. Lea Clough Lynton Diggle Trevor Coppock Hayley Campbell Louise Deehan-Owen Rod McCullum Bob McDavitt Rodger Grayson Dave Wooff Jo Bascombe Justine Inns Advertising: Designer: Printers: Distribution: Hamish Stewart Rachel Walker GEON Gordon and Gotch Ltd Subscriptions: Professional Skipper is published for the maritime transport industry. It is available on subscription in NZ and overseas. General: Reproduction of articles and materials published in Professional Skipper in whole or part, is permitted provided the source and author(s) are acknowledged. However, all photographic material is copyright and written permission to reproduce in any shape or form is required. Contributions of a nature relevant to the maritime transport industry are welcomed and industry participants are especially encouraged to contribute. Letters to the Editor should be signed and carry the writer's full name and address. Articles and information printed in Professional Skipper do not necessarily reflect the opinions or formal position or the publishers unless otherwise indicated. Material and information of a formal nature provided by the MSA, MoF or TAIC is identified by the use of their logo. All material published in Professional Skipper is done so with all due care as regards to accuracy and factual content. The publishers and editorial staff however cannot accept responsibility for any inadvertent errors and omissions which may occur. Professional Skipper is produced bi-monthly. Finalist 2008 Qantas Media Awards JUDGED HIGHLY COMMENDED EDITOR OF THE YEAR – MPA AWARDS 2009 A Where did the last 15 years go? s we were heading to press, I was thumbing through some of our early back issues and thinking to myself that the pressing issues we faced back then remain the same today So what has our industry been doing over the past 15 years? The past issues make for some scary reading, with some hard lessons learnt and others still in the making as we appear to keep repeating the same mistakes! Or are we failing to learn from the simple lessons in life. Safe ship management was bringing about an industry in change as the old survey system and the archaic Shipping and Seaman's Act was being repealed. We were an industry in change. Sound familiar? Now hang about a bit, Professional Skipper has been 15 years in print, bugger me days and hold onto the cat, this has only just sneaked up on the radar. In reminiscing, as one is apt to do from time to time, I was pleased to note where we started from and where we are today. One could say we have come from nothing to be what many now regard as the independent voice of the industry. We might just about have served our apprenticeship. Clearly, this magazine stands alone in this regard and it is due to the professional nature of our contributors and the team here who, issue after issue, share with us their words of experience and wisdom. Most important are our valued readers and advertisers, for without you this magazine would be just another flea rag often relegated to the gash bin. But enough of the waffle, as we do not have the luxury of time to waste when so many changes are in the making. Fifteen years ago we had the development of a strong deepwater fishing fleet, owned and managed by New Zealand companies for New Zealanders, as we pursued the government's "New Zealandisation" of the deepwater fishing sector. It was a time to take over from the foreigners and catch our fish in our 200-mile exclusive economic zone, land and process it in our factories and add value before exporting it for a profit. Granted, the profits may not have been high but the waterfront economy was doing well as the money was shared around the workers and waterfront comunity. The foreign charter boat fleet and their catch was reducing, and we were on the way to New Zealandisation. True! What went wrong? Our leading companies suddenly realised the smaller companies who were chartering foreign vessels were making more money as the why's and how's this was being done stayed under the radar. Well, not any longer, as the trafficking in cheap or slave labour is now being exposed. The government supports the use of foreign seamen manning these foreign charter vessels, provided the crews receive the same terms and conditions as New Zealanders, and the use of FCVs does not provide a competitive advantage over New Zealand crews and vessels due to lower labour costs. the appalling working conditions and slave- like abuse foreign seafarers must endure as we reveal the truth about fishing slaves. And this is only the start… Meanwhile Maritime New Zealand has faded from the spotlight but not gone. Sadly, both MOSS and QOL have been delayed. Likewise, the funding review is starting to raise some interesting questions as the consultants and the maritime industry representatives delve deeper into the search for answers over who should pay! And for what. Some tough questions are on the horizon. Unfortunately, in the middle of all this, our director of maritime safety is about to retire at the end of the year. Love her or hate her, you have to give Catherine Taylor credit for shaking up the old cronyism network that prevailed and getting rid of much of the salty old deadwood. She is a brave lady, but she hasn't finished the job of completing the rebuild of the role of the regulator into a cost-efficient service delivery unit for the maritime industry, which the industry can trust and lean on in times of need, as opposed to the big stick dictatorial approach so often experienced by operators. Sadly, with the uncertainty of QOL and further cuts pending, funding for our industry training has resulted in huge increases in training fees for our basic qualifications, including the local launchmaster, inshore launchmaster and like certificates, to the level where $3000 just to do an ILM course is not sustainable. All this is happening at a time when we are facing critical manning shortages for our inshore and coastal vessels. Just what is going on? Clearly, the government no longer sees us as an essential industry and yet we live as an island nation where 98 percent of goods and services in and out of the country go by sea. On a positive note, Professional Skipper is happy to announce that in association with the Spirit of Adventure Trust we are offering two sponsored placements over the next 12 months for a 10-day training voyage on the tall ship Spirit of New Zealand. Selection for this opportunity will be open to any young person nominated by an industry-related reader. Finally, keep an eye on the changes to our website as the magazine will be going fully electronic and live to subscribers. This will in no way diminish the quality of our hard copy. Rather, it will give another option for our international readers and those of a modern bent who are into iPads, e-books and the like, so watch this space. In the meantime, we look forward to meeting you at the Auckland International Boat Show from September 15-18 in the new Events Centre on the Viaduct Harbour. What part of this policy do we not understand? In this issue we have raised the horny issue of Keith Ingram, Editor