With the sinking of the ageing rusted Korean fishing boat Oyang 70, off the Otago coast in 2010 which killed five crew and its captain, New Zealand’s fishing secret was uncovered.
New Zealand’s 360 kilometre exclusive economic zone (EEZ) fishery much of which is granted to Maori Kiwi was being exploited and dominated by foreign charter vessels (FCV’s), mainly from South East Asia. It’s now a matter of record that in the industry slavery was common, and the Indonesians were subjected to severe physical and human rights abuses.
Men died, ships sank and New Zealand’s reputation for wholesome seafood products suffered.
Some investigations have since exposed a horror story of physical and human rights abuse that have caused great embarrassment to New Zealand internationally.
The industry was cited by the US State Department as guilty of human trafficking and in one report compared the way runaway sailors were treated with that of black slaves in the Southern United States in the 19th century.
The Government introduced requirements that all FCVs be reflagged to New Zealand by 2016 (with notable exceptions – including boats chasing lucrative blue fin tuna), so that crews will get New Zealand wages and conditions. The bill has not yet passed.