Commercial Fishing
The focus of United Future's commercial fishing policy is the "New Zealandisation" of our fisheries.
We want to level the playing field so that New Zealand vessels with New Zealand crews are competitive when it comes to harvesting this resource.
United Future's position is to:
- require two compulsory fisheries inspectors to be present on foreign charter vessels at the expense of the New Zealand company contracting the charter to ensure QMS compliance
- require that all foreign charter vessels are to remain outside a 25-mile limit
- require that all fish caught in New Zealand waters must be processed either on board the vessel within New Zealand's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or on land, and that regardless of where it is processed all fish caught in New Zealand waters must be landed before export to ensure it is correctly branded as product of New Zealand
- fund a comprehensive scientific study to ascertain how much damage is being caused by bottom trawling in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and what are the best ways to mitigate or prevent future damage
- ensure that New Zealand fishing companies advertising for New Zealand crew must offer 'market' wage rates rather than 'minimum' wage