Agent asked how third World crews have it good

International Transport Workers Federation (New Zealand) media release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday 26 June 2007

International Transport Workers Federation asks fishing agent to explain how Third World crews have it good

The International Transport Workers Federation says that some fishing industry operators are still trying to bend the rules protecting overseas crews from exploitation.

ITF New Zealand co-ordinator Kathy Whelan says she is appalled at misleading comments made by ship agent Peter Dawson that foreign fishermen working on fishing vessels in New Zealand waters are "better off" than New Zealand crew.

An advertisement placed by Mr Dawson in the Otago Daily Times on 13 June 2007 offered an $1000 bounty for information about missing Indonesian crew member Kismo Pakistan who left his vessel the FV Oyang 70 in Dunedin on 5 June 2007.

Mr Dawson was later quoted in the media stating foreigners working in the fishing industry were better off than New Zealand crew because of a "surcharge" imposed by the Government.

Ms Whelan says 2007 is the first year ever foreign fishing crews have been paid $NZ1.25 per hour above the New Zealand minimum wage – but from that amount deductions are often grabbed by employers for crew members food, visas and air fares, which take crew earnings back to the minimum wage of $11.25 per hour.

She says the ITF are also investigating reports that crew members on the FV Oyang 70 were using a plank of wood as a gangway between their vessel and the wharf in Dunedin.

"From the tone of his comments, Mr Dawson seems to have some problem with the very basic protections that have been introduced. His comments reflect poorly on the fishing industry and undermine the progress it has made in public perception."

Ms Whelan says many overseas crews work in notoriously bad conditions, with frequent documented incidents of abuse, health and safety breaches, and ongoing problems with pay and conditions, in recent years.

She says overseas fishing crews are recruited from poor countries through manning agents who extract "job fees" of thousands of dollars from crew members. Crew members often borrow money to "buy" their job from moneylenders.

Crew members can be away from their home and family for periods between 1 to 5 years.

"They seek work in the New Zealand fishery on the promise of good wages and conditions and fair treatment, but are often disappointed."

Ms Whelan says the number of shipjumpers is low considering to the number of foreign fishermen employed in our waters on basic and often bad conditions.

She says that more improvements need to be made to protect the lives and wellbeing of overseas crew members in New Zealand and international waters, and to ensure wages and conditions attracted local workers into the industry as well.

The International Transport Workers Federation unites 681 unions representing 4,500,000 transport workers in 148 countries around the world. It is campaigning internationally to improve the livelihoods of fishing workers.

ENDS

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