All foreign charter fishing vessels operating in New Zealand waters must carry the New Zealand flag from May next year, under legislation passed Thursday to end the exploitation and abuse of foreign crews.
The Fisheries (Foreign Charter Vessels and Other Matters) Bill requires all foreign charter vessels to carry the New Zealand flag and operate under full New Zealand legal jurisdiction.
"This bill will help maintain our reputation around the world. It shows that we are serious about the fair treatment of fishing crews, the safety of vessels and New Zealand's international reputation for ethical and sustainable fishing practices," Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said in a statement.
"This will give us full jurisdiction over areas like employment and labor conditions on vessels fishing in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone. It will help ensure fair standards for all fishing crews working in our waters."
The bill, which received cross-party support, would enable the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to consider employment, pollution or waste discharge issues and vessel safety matters as well as fisheries matters, when assessing applications for registration of foreign-owned fishing vessels, and to collect such information on the boats.
The bill is part of a range of measures that followed a ministerial inquiry into questionable safety, labor and fishing practices on some foreign-owned vessels, and follows other measures including requirements for compulsory individual New Zealand bank accounts for all crew members, observers on foreign- owned vessels, and audits of charter companies to ensure visa and wages conditions are being met.
The New Zealand Maritime Union said the legislation would end exploitation and abuse that would "Remain a stain on New Zealand's history."
Union national secretary Joe Fleetwood said the reflagging of foreign charger vessels would improve standards in the industry, but proper enforcement was required.
He said New Zealand had become the focus of media attention in the United States after a major investigative article in the business press exposed the practices where foreign fishing crews had been mistreated, abused and exploited.
"The Maritime Union will continue working as part of a global campaign by the International Workers' Transport Federation to improve working conditions and standards in the fishing industry," he said in a statement.
Under the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention 1982, ships, including fishing vessels, are required to fly the flag of the country in which they are registered.
A foreign-owned fishing vessel flagged to New Zealand would be deemed to be a New Zealand ship and therefore be subject to the same legislative and regulatory requirements and enforcement provisions as a domestically owned and flagged vessel.
The ministerial inquiry initiated in 2011 found a small number of operators of foreign flagged FCVs had been "mistreating their crews and acting in disregard of New Zealand's laws."
It was ordered after widely publicized cases of mainly Indonesian fishing crews jumping ship with claims of unpaid wages and physical abuse when their Korean-owned vessels docked in New Zealand.
The bill will pass into law when it receives the assent of the governor-general.