Third world fishing policies put NZ to shame - SFWU

The union representing workers in seafood processing factories has today slammed New Zealand’s fishing policies which allow our fishing resources to be exported to other countries.

"Papua New Guinea has better policies than New Zealand," said Service and Food Workers Union Assistant National Secretary, Neville Donaldson.

The PNG government has just announced that they will no longer issue fishing permits to companies who do not process the fish caught in their territorial waters.

"It seems the PNG Government values their fishing resource and employment benefits for their own citizens more than our own government," said Neville Donaldson.

"It’s a shame that the New Zealand Government does not value the fishing resources harvested in the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone in the same way. Had they done so we would not be farewelling over 50 members of our union this week who have lost the jobs at Sealord’s Nelson factory and many others before them across New Zealand."

Neville Donaldson said the job losses could not have happened at a worse time, when New Zealanders are struggling to find work and workers and their families are struggling to get by.

"Polices like those the PNG Government has chosen to protect their fishing industry and local workers would have significant benefits in New Zealand, providing much-needed regional employment," he said.

"The National Government is still allowing our fishing resources to be exported to other countries to provide employment to their citizens because it allows foreign and New Zealand companies to create greater wealth by exploiting foreign workers and making New Zealand workers redundant.

"It is past time that this government started to value our assets and employment opportunities, or do we have to wait till we meet third world status before we do so?"