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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WATERFRONT BUSINESS In brief… Shotover Jet mystery A mystery "near-miss" incident involving a Shotover Jet boat and a non-commercial jet-boat last year, has led to changes in the tourism pioneer's licence agreement to operate on the Shotover River. The incident was mentioned at a Queenstown Lakes District Council's finance and corporate committee meeting. Discussion about Shotover Jet, and presumably the incident, was held behind the closed boardroom doors of a public-excluded discussion. Maritime New Zealand will only release details of the incident under the Official Information Act. Shotover Jet has been owned by Ngai Tahu Tourism since 2001 but needs a Licence and Concession Agreement ratified by the council to operate on the Shotover River. The current Licence and Concession Agreement was renewed for five years in April 2009, and will expire in 2014. $35m bill for NZ taxpayer A day after the Rena's captain and navigator were sentenced, Green Party oceans spokesman Gareth Hughes revealed that the 2012 Budget includes a new $35m payment from the Government towards the clean-up. The Government confirmed the clean-up operation is expected to cost about $130m, covered by the taxpayer, the Rena's owners the Greece- based Costamore Shipping Company, and insurers. Hughes said it was abhorrent that taxpayers should pay for the clean-up, saying that what we have now is the result of successive governments "sitting on their hands", failing to adopt the international Bunkers Convention, and the 1996 Limit to Liability for Maritime Claims Protocol, that should have more than doubled the liability cap for the Rena's owners from $12m to $29m. Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee has put the kibosh on the Green Party's calls for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the incident. Oyang 77 dumping makes mockery of QMS Fisheries advocate Glenn Simmons, THE MINISTRY OF Primary Industries has laid eight charges against another Korean Oyang foreign charter vessel the Oyang 77, for illegally dumping fish at sea after evidence on TV3 national news May 13, revealed the accidental catching of a five tonne basking shark which had its tail ripped off alive, before being dumped at sea. The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world and has been on the New Zealand protected species list since 2010. The Oyang 77, a Korean owned vessel, did not report the catch of the basking shark and there was clear evidence in the news images of large amounts of quality fish including prime ling, for which they do not hold quota, being dumped to avoid paying deemed values to the Government. Tones of lower grade processed fish were also seen being dumped to make room in the freezers for better quality fish. Another Sajo Oyang boat the Oyang 75, is also before the courts facing 26 fisheries charges. an Auckland University Business School researcher says fish dumping is costing millions and is making a mockery of the quota management system, "Fishermen say fish dumping occurs when fish are selectively harvested so only the best quality are brought ashore and that it happens all the time. I would estimate that the average dumping is somewhere between 40 and 50 percent on these Korean foreign charter vessels." MPI takes all allegations or evidence of breaches very seriously. Deputy Director-General Scott Gallacher says it is important for people to realise their information is valued and important and he urges people to come forward if they have any evidence or suspicion of this type of breach "We will investigate." The Oyang boats have also been accused of systemic human rights and labour rights abuses toward their mainly Indonesian crews. LICENSES FOR "MOTORCYCLES ON WATER"? BAY OF PLENTY coroner Wallace Bain has likened jet skis to "motorcycles on water" after a Rotorua teenager was hit by one and drowned. Bain says the January 2011 accident is further evidence of the need for tougher maritime laws for boaties, and wants anyone operating a powered vessel to have a licence and registration, as with other motor vehicles. But Maritime New Zealand's Pleasure Boat Safety Forum in 2000 found that licensing doesn't save lives, life jackets do, and a boat safety review in 2007 identified four ways to reduce marine accidents: Life jackets, understanding the weather, communications, and accepting that water and alcohol do not mix. The Coastguard Boating Education Board say that educating boaties is more useful than licensing, and that a day skipper's course can make more of a difference between boating being an enjoyable and safe family experience, and not coming home at the end of the day. VIP.S88 50 Professional Skipper July/August 2012