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MINISTRY OF FISHERIES MAF FOREIGN CHARTER VESSELS INQUIRY REPORT RELEASED The Minister for Primary Industries, David Carter, and the Minister of Labour, Kate Wilkinson, have released the Foreign Charter Vessels Inquiry report prepared by panel members Paul Swain (chair), Sarah McGrath and Neil Walter, on the operation of foreign charter vessels (FCVs) in New Zealand waters. As the result of the Inquiry initiated last year the government has resolved to take a stronger line focusing on several issues including labour standards and protecting New Zealand's reputation. Carter says the inquiry panel has done a thorough job: "The report is clear that the issues are not widespread in the New Zealand commercial fishing industry, but they are serious where they occur and need to be addressed in a co-ordinated manner, backed by legislative change." The 15 recommendations touch on a wide range of ministerial portfolios, including fisheries, labour, immigration, transport and foreign affairs and trade. The government has already decided to accept in principle, and to act on, the inquiry panel's first six recommendations. The first three recommendations are for practical improvements that can be addressed quickly, and in some cases are already being made. "The recommendations include updating the code of practice and strengthening the immigration approval process – both of which will help ensure better conditions for workers on FCVs," says Wilkinson. "We will also be adopting a recommendation that the New Zealand fishing companies chartering foreign vessels have to show the code is being followed. This is a significant move as it puts the onus on those companies, rather than the Department of Labour, which currently has to prove the code has been breached." The Department of Labour is also to strengthen monitoring and enforcement of FCVs and increase the frequency and thoroughness of inspections. MAF is to strengthen monitoring and enforcement of FCVs, including placing an observer on all FCVs fishing in New Zealand waters and considering non-fisheries offences when making FCV registration decisions. Maritime New Zealand is to strengthen enforcement of FCV compliance with maritime safety standards. Recommendations four to fix propose closer inter-agency co-operation, to be overseen by an inter-agency steering group. This includes setting up a pilot programme for at-sea monitoring of compliance with fisheries, vessel safety and labour standards targeting high-risk FCVs. The remaining recommendations cover legislative amendments, ratifying international conventions, and significant policy changes. The government is further considering the Inquiry Panel's report and these recommendations before announcing any decisions. WORKSHOPS PROMOTE SEABIRD-SMART FISHING PRACTICES The first in a series of national workshops to promote seabird-smart fishing practices been held in Auckland and Timaru. The workshops are organised by Southern Seabird Solutions and are hosted by fishing companies to educate inshore commercial fishers about the issue of fishing-related seabird injuries or death. Southern Seabird Solutions convenor Janice Molloy says seabirds have learned to forage for food at the back of trawl and longline fishing vessels, which places the birds at risk of being caught on hooks or tangled in trawl gear. "The fishing industry has been actively working to address this issue for some time now as a partner of Southern Seabird Solutions, and the seabird-smart workshops are the next step in that work." As well as providing information about the issue, she hopes the workshops will motivate fishers to share their own knowledge 64 Professional Skipper May/June 2012 about what proven or new methods they use to keep seabirds away from fishing vessels, and inspire them to make further changes on their boats. "The people attending these workshops are from small inshore boats that typically have a skipper and two or three crew members, so what they do on their boats to keep seabirds out of harm's way will make a real difference," she says. At least six seabird-smart fishing workshops will be held around the country this year. The content of each workshop is being tailored to the needs of the particular fishing fleet attending, and will typically cover information on local seabirds, the latest developments in seabird-smart fishing practices, how to care for seabirds if they are caught, and benefits for the fishing industry of being seabird-smart. Fishing company Sanford Ltd hosted the Auckland workshop, which was attended by about 25 skippers and crew contracted to Sanford, and Talley's Group Ltd hosted the workshop in Timaru. "Sanford takes this issue very seriously," says Sanford Ltd spokesperson Jim Fitzgerald. "For instance we have a company- wide policy in place requiring all of the inshore trawl skippers who fish for us to use particular measures to keep seabirds away from their vessels." The skipper of the San Kaipara long-line fishing vessel, Stu Sheard, said: "I enjoyed the workshop, especially learning about the cycle the birds create from eating at sea, fertilising the land in the form of guano, and the run-off feeding the plankton and therefore feeding the whole food chain." Talley's spokesman, Doug Loder, said the company wanted to build the public's confidence that the fishing industry is acting responsibly towards seabirds. "The workshops are an important step towards this. Once skippers and crew have been through the training, the Southern Seabird Solutions Trust can maintain contact with them and provide any support where needed." Janice Molloy says two skippers have modified the devices they're using to keep seabirds away from their boats as a result of attending the Auckland workshop. "This is exactly what we hoped would happen. Seabird-smart fishing makes good sense because it's practical, helps keep seabirds safe, and it doesn't get in the way of achieving a good catch." She says Southern Seabird Solutions will keep in touch with workshop participants and can offer support and advice to fishers wanting to learn more or test particular seabird-smart practices to measure their effectiveness. The project is sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council, the Department of Conservation and Sanford Ltd. Southern Seabird Solutions Trust is an alliance including representatives from the seafood industry, New Zealand government, WWF and Te Ohu Kaimoana. www.southernseabirds.org CARTER WON'T EXTEND SET NET BAN After one of the last remaining Maui's dolphins was killed in a set-net off Taranaki, Primary Industries Minister David Carter said in Parliament on February 9 that he was not prepared to extend protection measures. His justification for inaction was that these dolphins face multiple threats, of which death in set-nets was just one. TARANAKI FOOD RETAILERS INVESTIGATED New Zealand restaurants and takeaways need to do their bit to shut down black-market fish trade and support both sustainable fisheries and food safety, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry warns. MAF compliance staff were executing authorities to enter,