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limits vessels and of course, the fishing industry. "Many of the clients I work with are larger than life and they leave big footprints in the industry." Each day brings new challenges and his life is never boring, with groundings such as the Rena adding to the pace of life and challenges of the past year. The fishing sector is another area that has featured significantly over the past year. Peter and his team have been involved in a high profile ongoing battle on behalf of crew to improve working conditions and pay on Korean flagged Charter fishing vessels operating in New Zealand's exclusive economic zone. "We have taken this crew on a contingency basis: no cure, no pay, which has put significant strain on the resources of the firm." This is all part of Peter's underlying commitment to reinvest his time and skills back into the community he serves. He has recently stepped down after a six year stint as the secretary of the New Zealand branch of the Maritime Law Association of New Zealand. He is also a board member for 'Big Brothers, Big Sisters', an international mentoring organisation with branches in New Zealand which places children in crisis with mentors from their community. Peter is an enthusiastic advocate for growth of the New Zealand ship building and refit industry. "New Zealand has a unique combination of skills and talents that we need to advocate internationally" he says. "If we can grow New Zealand as a maritime jurisdiction we are growing the New Zealand marine businesses as a whole". He chairs the Nelson marine engineering cluster and spends time addressing the growth of the build and refit sector in Nelson. When he formed his maritime law practice in 2007, he was determined to grow it internationally. "30 percent of our work comes from outside New Zealand and this reflects the international interest in New Zealand as a tourism, build and refit destination." If you have a vision and are prepared to take measured risks to achieve the vision and put in place practical steps, it is surprising how much ground you can cover with hard work", he notes. Peter is a big fan of keeping advice simple and clearly articulated. He asserts that there are many businesses that receive incomprehensible advice of no practical application, particularly in the marine sector. It is the simple and practical solutions that work the most effectively. In order to achieve this however, an in depth knowledge of the sector is required. He is also surprised at how many New Zealand operators operate vessels without basic legal protections. For example, running a vessel refit businesses without standard terms and conditions or exclusions of liability is something he comes across occasionally. Similarly, many vessel owners operate their vessels without even the most simple asset and liability protection structures. These are not expensive to implement and standard forms or template agreements are readily accessible. Peter cautions that the non SOLAS, marine sector in New Zealand is undergoing a seismic change with the forthcoming implementation of the new MOSS and the QUAL regimes. He notes that the marine industry must get their heads around the impact of the changes on their businesses quickly and have input into the consultation processes as the changes will add significant cost to their bottom line. Another issue that he is increasingly being consulted on is prosecutions under the Health and Safety in Employment Act in the marine environment. With the number of serious harm injuries and casualties that the industry is experiencing, there is an increased focus on the health and safety aspects of vessel operations. Operators should have a culture of safety and less reliance on a "number eight wire" approach to safety and he has seen some large fines and penalties being handed down for failures in this area. "My concern however, is that the pendulum is swinging too far to a 'desktop approach' to safety and common sense in the HSEA environment needs to prevail." Peter says. "Good operators should not be penalised for having straightforward and easily understood systems and a culture of safety." Peter has seen big shifts in the marine industry in the 10 years that he has been in New Zealand. The increased use of technology on vessels can be both a boon and a curse for operators. He is seeing an increase in incidents that could have been avoided If you have a vision and are prepared to take measured risks to achieve the vision and put in place practical steps had the operators relied upon the "mark one eyeball" and not their navigation equipment. There is no substitute for good seamanship and common sense. It is the absence of this that keeps him in business. His company website (www.maritimelaw.co.nz) gives a wealth of free advice and news on topical matters of interest in the marine industry in New Zealand and is worth keeping an eye on. Married with four children, Peter is a committed Christian whose children were schooled at home. He spends his free time with his family and enjoys mountain biking surfskiing and fishing in the Tasman region. 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