DPF on slave-fishing

While National drags its feet on slave-fishing, DPF gets it. The problem is real. And its not just an employment issue:

A failure to pay minimum wages under NZ law (which the FCVs have agreed to do) is the least of the abuses. They get told they will lose the little pay they do get unless they lie to the NZ authorities about how much they are paid. Any complaints can see them lose bonds worth more than their earnings. They are forced to work long and dangerous hours with no regard for safety.

But even worse than there, there are several documented cases of physical violence, sexual abuse and even rape of the (mainly Indonesian) staff who work on these vessels. They are basically treated as slaves during their incarceration on the vessels. Actually many slaves in the Roman republic were treated better, than what has happened to these workers in our territorial waters.

These abuses have gone on for far too long. New Zealand has even ended up on the watch list of the US State Department whose annual Trafficking in Persons Report mentions fishing in New Zealand as a problem area.

This is not something our government can turn a blind eye to or whitewash for the benefit of its rich mates. DPF gets that too, and recognises that the eventual solution may have to be requiring all vessels fishing in our EEZ to be flagged here so as to be fully subject to New Zealand law. As for the economic consequences, bugger them; as DPF says,

we can't allow these abuses to continue in our waters, by ships fishing New Zealand quota.

If only the government would take that line...