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
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/172326
waterfront business in brief… App to report sea hazards A new smartphone app that streamlines the reporting process for hazards at sea is now available for download. "Hydrographic Notes" or "HNotes" allows users to photograph hazards at sea, note the location, and send the information to the New Zealand Hydrographic Authority at Land Information New Zealand to be reported to the maritime community. The app has been developed by IT company Datacom and Land Information New Zealand and in consultation with the NZHA, "HNotes" is the first cab off the rank in a number of planned LINZ smartphone applications. "HNotes" is suitable for iPhone, iPad, and for Android devices on the Ice Cream Sandwich operating system and above. It can be downloaded, free of charge, from the Google Play or iTunes store. Nelson's fleet blessing a big day out Nelson's 13th annual Blessing of the Fleet was held in July despite a driving sou'westerly and once again paid tribute to those who have lost their lives at sea and blessed the boats and their crews. The ceremony is dedicated to the large Nelson hoki fleet and Seafarers Memorial Trust spokesman Mike Smith said that the blessing, unique in New Zealand, was hugely valued by the families who had lost loved ones at sea. It was also a chance for the public to show their respect and find out a little more about the industry. "Nelson is still Australasia's biggest fishing port and the industry and its support services are hugely important to our town – over a quarter of the workforce is engaged in this sector in one way or another," he said. The Blessing of the Fleet is a free event with food and entertainment that ties in with Nelson's Winter Festival with major support coming from Talley's, and other key sponsorship from insurer Sunderland Marine, and Sealord. 50 Sealord struggles IT APPEARS THAT fishing company Sealord may be on the verge of a firesale of its Argentina hoki-operation or forcing it into bankruptcy. At the end of July Sealord met with iwi in a shareholder roadshow. The struggling company is half owned by Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd, New Zealand's largest Maori-owned fisheries company, and also 50 percent owned by fishing company Nippon Suisan Kaisha, or Nissui. The Japanese company's shareholders reportedly supported attempts to remedy the Argentinean fishery, but are now said also to be attempting to exit the operation. Aotearoa's first-half earnings fell after Sealord wrote down the value of its lossmaking Argentinean fishing business. Aotearoa Fisheries reported that its net profit fell to $7.2 million in the six months to March 31, down from $17.3 million in the same period last year. Included in the group profit of $7.2 million was an investment impairment charge of $7 million in relation to the Argentinean business. Either bankruptcy or fire-sale is likely to leave the Nelson-based company with a $40 million loss. "While there are bright spots within Sealord Group, unfortunately heavy losses from Sealord's Argentinean operations have dragged down the performance of the group." A spokesperson for Aotearoa said. Business conditions in the second half of the year were expected to remain similar to the first half, Aotearoa said. Aotearoa says the performance of its other business units, comprising Moana Pacific Fisheries, OPC Fish and Lobster, Prepared Foods, Pacific Marine Farms and Kia Ora Seafoods was "pleasing". Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd is part-owned by 56 iwi as a result of an historic Treaty of Waitangi settlement in 1992. The deal also envisioned Sealord providing Maori employment. Ocean race joined by Aussie boat THE INAUGURAL AUCKLAND to Bluff Ocean Race has received a major boost with Team Australia, the recordbreaking 60ft trimaran, planning to take part in the race, which sets sail from Auckland's Waitemata Harbour on February 9, 2014. Dubbed "Australia's fastest sailing boat", Team Australia has broken several sailing records over the past year. The A2B Ocean Race is open to both monohulls and multihulls and could develop into a serious event for multihulls in the Southern Hemisphere. Professional Skipper September/October 2013 Team Australia will be on the start line of the A2B Ocean Race with a crew of eight sailors, one more than the crew that set the world record for the Sydney to Hobart distance. That crew consisted of Sean Langman, his 19-year-old son Peter, and five sailing mates. Event Manager for the race, Craig Seuseu says that Team Australia is the fifth international yacht to give an expression of interest to race the inaugural A2B Ocean Race. The race fleet for the A2B Ocean Race is limited to 30 boats in its inaugural year. www.skipper.co.nz