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IWI QUOTA HOLDERS SEEK TO KEEP 'FORCED LABOUR' BY KEITH INGRAM I n a surprise move at the end of July, and at the request of iwi leaders, the Government bill introduced to protect foreign workers from inhumane treatment and poor wages was changed by the primary production select committee. This was the bill that would require all Foreign Charter Vessels to be New Zealand flagged by 2016, ensuring that these workers enjoyed the benefits of the New Zealand minimum wage, pay local taxes, PAYE and ACC levies and be protected by our health and safety laws. It would appear iwi leaders are seeking to continue to support abhorrent fishing practices by continued use of these decrepit vessels to catch their quota. The prospect of a bill that will enable Maori fishing quota holders to be exempt from the current legislation, which is designed to protect migrant workers on foreign charter vessels, is just another rort of the system to allow iwi the right to continue to use cheap FCVs and "forced labour", often referred to as slave labour. In an effort to stamp out the claims of serious physical, sexual and psychological abuse by Korean officers on Indonesian and Filippino crews, on July 14, 2011 the Minister of Fisheries, Phil Heatley, announced a ministerial inquiry into Foreign Charter Vessels. FCV crewmembers were also alleging that the owners and charter companies had not paid some of the workers fully, or at all, for their months of work. The inquiry panel spent many months discussing and debating the present situation with a range of industry representatives, government officials, groups and individuals. The panel heard disturbing testimony about the mistreatment and underpayment of FCV crew by certain foreign owners and New Zealand charter operators. The panel resolved that major changes were required. Its report of February 2012, clearly stated "that exploitative employment practices have no place in New Zealand waters, and that fishing crews must have adequate protection from mistreatment and underpayment". The panel recommended "that all those who fish in New Zealand waters should be subject to the same minimum standards and rules regarding vessel safety, workplace conditions and fisheries regulations. This way, the high standards set by New 16 Professional Skipper September/October 2013 Zealand will be applied to all. "In our view, these changes need to be made to protect New Zealand's reputation and promote the long-term interests of the industry." What part of this does anyone not understand? The panel then gave 15 recommendations, all of which the Government has worked on to introduce, including legislation that would require all FCV working in our waters to be re-flagged and registered here by 2016, so that New Zealand laws will apply to all on board. The key question in all this is just where do Maori sit in the debate, when iwi hold 42 percent of our fisheries quota, much of it in the deepwater fishery. Could our respected kaumatua and kuia sit comfortably knowing their fish was being caught by what is closely described as slave labour? Will they have the mana to stand up and say, "until we can use New Zealand boats manned by New Zealand seafarers, many of Maori descent, the fish can remain uncaught and stay in the water." Well obviously not, especially when we now hear some iwi leaders are seeking to amend the bill to exempt vessels that hold settlement quota provided under the 1992 Sealord's Treaty deal until 2020. Ngāpuhi's chairman Sonny Tau has stated that iwi cannot afford to buy vessels and if they are not able to use FCVs for many it would not be economic to be involved in fishing. To add insult to injury, in the next breath we hear of quota holding iwi leaders saying that if they cannot use these cheap FCV with the associated foreign "slave labour" then they want $300 million a year in government compensation. WHAT! Yes, that is what quota-holding iwi are claiming they will lose by not being able to use "slave labour" boats. Which begs the question, if it is $300 million a year – and I have no evidence to dispute this claim – what has happened to all the money paid to iwi leaders each year since 1992? Collectively these iwi could have purchased a new fishing vessel each year and be operating a fleet of modern vessels manned by young Maori and still have money in the bank. Hapu and iwi should be demanding answers to the hard questions from their leaders and not accept "hē, pōhēhē kōrero." Whatever happened to chartering New Zealand flagged vessels manned by New Zealand crews, paying New Zealand www.skipper.co.nz