FCV TO SHAPE UP OR BY KEITH INGRAM
SHIP OUT
Are we being responsible in sending ships to the Southern Ocean to die?
H
istory appeared to be repeating itself when several crewmen from the foreign charter fishing vessel FV Shin Ji jumped ship in Auckland.
This has been followed by a group of 32 Indonesian fishermen who quit their boat, the FV Oyang 75, in Lyttelton Harbour. More recently we have seen further desertions by Indonesian seafarers from foreign charter vessels in Lyttelton, all complaining about poor conditions, low wages and physical abuse by Korean officers.
Of particular concern is the mental abuse and draconian punishment routines carried out by the Korean masters, who subjected members of the crew to stand out on the bow for long hours in light clothing in the Southern Ocean as a form of control and torture, even though the crewmember may have done no wrong. Sadly, the New Zealand Police cannot react, because the incidents happened beyond the 12-mile territorial limit and are outside their jurisdiction. They have also said any complaints need to be in writing and translated into English. But that does not suggest it does not happen. The claims of torture and sexual abuse being rife on our high seas are now starting to be publicly revealed, despite previous cover-ups in the
24 Professional Skipper January/February 2012 industry and intimidatory gagging of the crew.
Now that these concerns have become public, the government has established a ministerial inquiry into foreign charter vessels, or FCVs, working within New Zealand's exclusive economic zone. The inquiry panel comprises the former Cabinet Minister Paul Swain, Sarah McGrath from KPMG and Neil Walter, a former New Zealand Ambassador to Indonesia and former Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
They are now looking into the use and operation of foreign charter vessels and will be considering whether the economic factors supporting the use of FCVs deliver the greatest overall benefit to the New Zealand economy and quota holders. As an industry advocate and commentator for the past 25 years, I can state unequivocally that the use of FCVs does not deliver a net benefit to New Zealand's economy. The operation of these vessels creates significant economic distortions on multiple levels. As history will attest, when the government decided to develop the potential for deepwater fishing for New Zealand, several companies set about doing so at some significant investment cost. The progress of these companies was significant in creating sea-going jobs for New Zealanders. Skilled seamen and engineers, along with the factory operations, would create new opportunities
