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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has no friends in this area, and must deal with reports that are emotive and unscientific. He reported that amongst the looming environmental issues are: • A new bill on Marine Protected Areas and concern that the Department of Conservation and the green lobby will gain enhanced opportunities for setting up reserves • Discard policies. There are likely to be harder lines taken on discards on the grounds of sustainability • The Environmental Trading Scheme. Concerns that the costs for this scheme may rise • Benthic impacts. The industry should be prepared for more concern and pressure on damage of benthic zones The incoming Executive from left: President Doug Saunders-Loder, VP Allan Rooney, Peter Scott, Carol Scott, Tony Threadwell, Cindy Bailey and Brian Kiddie John Oldroyd spoke on the Maritime Operator Safety System and Maritime NZ's response to it: • Operators must develop their own Marine Transport Operators Plan • They must ensure that their vessels are surveyed Maritime NZ will control entry of operators and surveyors to the industry and will: • Assess and audit operators' safety systems • Standardise survey methods • Monitor surveyors' performances • Manage MOSS overall The Maritime Transport Operators Certificate replaces the Safe Ship Management certificate and must be held for a business to actually operate. It covers the whole operation, not just the vessel. The MTOP must be relevant to the operation and must be held securely ashore. Certificates of Survey will be valid for five years. In the transition to MOSS, a current SSM Certificate will be deemed to be an MTOC. A Fit For Purpose certificate will be deemed to be a Certificate of Survey, and a Safe Ship Manual will be deemed to be an MTOP. On expiration of these, the holder must undergo entry to MOSS. For a multi-vessel operator, the expiry of the first SSM Certificate triggers the entry to MOSS for all vessels. Costs are estimated to be between $750 and $2,500 for a 10 yearly application fee, depending on the size and complexity of the operation. There will be consultation later this year, and audit fees will be discussed. Consultation on MOSS ended on May 31, 2012, the panel will consider submissions until July. The rules will be forwarded to Ministry of Transport in September and implementation will be in July 2013. As with qualifications, Maritime NZ is trying to align these rules and standards with those of Australian Maritime Safety Authority. The Federation Executive has been liaising with Maritime NZ and is making good progress in getting pragmatic solutions to industry's concerns. Peter Bodeker, CEO of New Zealand Seafood Industry Council, spoke on the restructuring into the new Seafood New Zealand organisation. He believes that it will result in reduced cross- subsidisation and duplication of effort. The proposal is for a three- level organisation: Sector Representative Entities (Inshore Finfish, Deepwater, Rock Lobster etc) with Seafood New Zealand at centre, Seafood Strategy New Zealand, a voluntary strategic forum drawn from voluntary members, to include big companies, individuals, Federation, retailers etc. The last named, is viewed with some reserve by small operators as the "big boys club". Tom Clark, SEAFIC, spoke on the difficulties the industry faces with issues such as: non-fish by-catch, catching protected sharks, shark finning, and other sensitive issues. He said that the industry 24 Professional Skipper July/August 2012 • Recreation Zones. We should be prepared for more pressure to create recreation-only areas as election year approaches • Customary areas. As for the above, look for more pressure He also discussed media profile and how we should be proactive, to show that the fishing industry can be trusted, and show a commitment to mitigation, and that we carry out best practice in all fields. Cam Speedy, of Southern Seabird Solutions, spoke on mitigation measures. Introducing his new concept, SMART, or Safeguard seabirds, Mitigate risks, Avoid attracting seabirds, Report seabird captures, Treat with care. He made the point that while it's easy to see that small losses can have big impacts as in species with small populations, that small changes can also have big impacts in minor operational practices, such as ditching offal only at night or when not fishing. He also told of the environmental deterioration that inland New Zealand has suffered because seabirds that once nested on the ground in much of the country, enriching the soil through defecation, death, moulting and so forth, has now been lost with the introduction of cats, rats, mustelids. James Turner of Fumunda Marine, Australia, spoke on setnet pingers. These have been around for 30 years and are used in 25 countries, in some cases compulsorily. Frequencies vary to suit the cetaceans to be deterred. He referred to the so-called "dinner- bell" effect – the theory that the mammals hear the pingers from long distances and home in on them, as they have learned that they indicate a source of captive food. He said that research has not resolved the matter either way, and that the research available suggests that spaced at 100 metre intervals they definitely deter dolphins. He read excerpts from a DoC report on pinger trials in Akaroa Harbour in 1996 which were very successful and asked, "Why were they not made mandatory in the setnet fisheries, rather than impose the widespread bans we see today?" Brian Kiddie, president of the Tauranga Commercial Fishermen's Association, spoke on the wreck of MV RENA. How there were problems with government departments dealing in the emergency, bureaucratic inertia, intrusion by sightseers, and the worst weather for some time. There were also problems with getting a clean bill of health for catches, and with having catch samples tested as testing authorities disputed their patches. One added complication, was market resistance to fish landed in Tauranga. AGM: Doug Saunders-Loder, of Motueka, was re-elected President of the NZFCF at the AGM held on the third day. Allan Rooney, of the West Coast, was re-elected vice-president, and there was one change in the executive committee, as Cindy Bailey, of Leigh, replaced Greg Hayes, also of Leigh. Other members of the executive were and are: Brian Kiddie, Bay of Plenty, Keith Mawson, Taranaki, Tony Threadwell, Lyttelton, Carol Scott, Nelson and Peter Scott, Port Chalmers. Making her mark at the conference was the Federation's new chief administration officer Cara Halford. Not only has she already demonstrated a considerable administrative ability, she is much nicer to look at than former CEO, Pete Dawson.