Idle trawlers show trouble for industry

One fishing company is effectively out of business while others are bracing for large financial hits as the deepwater New Zealand industry, unable to get skilled foreign workers into the country, has begun tying up vessels.

At least three New Zealandflagged big autonomous trawler reefer deepwater vessels associated with Canterbury-based Independent Fisheries have been tied up at Lyttelton as it repatriated its Russian and Ukrainian crew following the end of their visa periods.

Nelson-based fishing company Sealord is likely to follow suit by October 1, with its Ukrainian and Russian crews of Meridian and Profesor M Aleksandrov heading home after working in New Zealand since November. Sealord now urgently needs 160 skilled fishers to crew the two vessels.

Independent Fisheries chief executive Mark Allison said his company had been in negotiations with the Government since April to allow more crew into New Zealand.

He said there had been ‘‘very little response’’ from ministers. As a result, the company was effectively out of business until it could get crew into New Zealand, Allison said, with the situation costing tens ofmillions of dollars.

‘‘We also have New Zealanders gainfully employed here on landbased operations that rely on fishing – of course us being now out of business it jeopardises these jobs as we have no form of income to operate.

‘‘We’re desperate for the Government to act on it and allow primary industry to operate – at the moment we’re not functional because we’re unable to get appropriate responses out of them.’’

Sealord chief operating officer Doug Paulin was ‘‘greatly concerned’’ at the potential loss of Kiwi jobs and revenue for the country if border exemptions were not granted for trained overseas fishing crews.

It is understood that the situation could cost the national economy $725 million, with 425 landbased jobs also at stake.

Paulin said qualified and experienced fishing crew were in short supply in New Zealand.

‘‘Kiwis continue to be reluctant to take roles in our deepwater fleet even at the unskilled level, which these foreign crew are not.’’

Sealord had only recently been given approval for enough foreign watch-crew to look after the vessels to avoid environmental and safety risks while they sit idle.

‘‘We find it extremely frustrating that people in the film industry and rugby players can secure immediate travel exemptions, while the Government refuses to make any decision regarding our applications,’’ he said.

An August summit of business leaders called for quarantine capacity to be expanded to allow international students, construction workers and other skilled workers into the country.