Over the past two years the government has repeatedly delayed a scheme to put cameras on boats to monitor Mew Zealand's pervasively criminal fishing industry. But it turns out that the industry actually wants cameras:
Three of the country's biggest seafood companies have broken ranks with the rest of the sector and declared their support for cameras on fishing boats.
[...]
Now Moana, Sanford and Sealord, accounting for 40 percent of this country's fishing quota, have said cameras would provide increased transparency and so should be installed.
Sanford chief executive Volker Kuntzsch said his company would be willing to pay for them if Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) was willing to cover the cost of analysing the footage.
So what's the hold up? Talleys, the other big player, doesn't want them. And Talleys donates heavily to New Zealand First, who then jerk Labour's chain. So Talleys gets space to engage in serious criminal activity, while those who want a clean fishing industry risk getting out-competed by criminals.
This is not a satisfactory situation. Fortunately we have a chance to correct it in three months, by voting the corrupt influence out of Parliament.
