Book review

The catch – by Philip Field

Philip Field has been the Radio NZ and Fairfax Media Pacific Affairs correspondent for decades, nobody knows the area better. In this book he exposes the sorry state of the fishing industry in both New Zealand’s economic zone waters and those of the various Pacific Islands.

This well researched book covers the lawless state of the deep sea fisheries, the unsustainable state of fish stocks due to plundering, the appalling conditions on the Korean owned fishing vessels, the unseaworthy state of the boats they work in and the false labelling of the packaged fish.

Before I completely put you off this book I hasten to say that this is a fascinating book written in a easy to read style. Enjoyable, even if what is learnt horrifies the reader. There are illustrations from newspaper files and the NZ Dept of Labour, the latter of conditions in the crew quarters have to be seen to be believed.

The Korean vessels contracted to New Zealand companies have Korean captains and first assistants but basically crewed by Indonesian and Vietnamese. When the fishing is under way these men work up to eighteen hour shifts with three hours sleeps, for an average of one dollar an hour. Their food consists of rice and reject fish, they only have cold sea water for washing.

It is disappointing to learn that the large New Zealand fishing companies who hold the quota are part of this sorry business. The notable exception being Talleys Fisheries who have New Zealand crews.

Two years ago regulations were introduced which would require foreign owned vessels to be New Zealand registered while fishing in New Zealand waters and adhere to New Zealand working terms and conditions. This was fiercely opposed by the Maori Party and Maori Iwi with interests in Sealord and other companies. An amendment having the regulations not apply until 20020 was required to get the law passed. This has later cut back to 2018.

False labelling is rife. Fish caught by Korean owned vessels is gutted and frozen aboard. The catch is taken to Korea where it is part thawed, filleted and retail packaged, labelled ‘Product of New Zealand’. The paper work for the product then passes through one or more New Zealand ‘companies’, usually a single person, then ‘sold’ by a third New Zealand registered export company which arranges for its delivery. Resulting in the muddying of any investigation as to the product’s origin.

In the Pacific the Tuna season is a free for all as hundreds of mainly American and Japanese vessels get among the migrating tuna. Currently the catch being taken is completely unsustainable. The fishing companies simply ignore the requests of the Island nations, whose waters they fish in, to work with them to regulate the catch. Along with this the fishing companies pay nothing to the Island Nations, whose fish they are taking for free.

The illegal taking of the of the Toothfish from the deep south are also covered. Several boats owned by one Spanish family are the main perpetrators. The boats have multi registrations under different names from countries such as Chad or Liberia. They have been observed changing names at sea.

And so illegal and immoral activities continue through out the Pacific Ocean. This book of carefully researched facts is both a fascinating read and a revelation.

See also the just published ‘New Zealand’s turbulent waters’ by Auckland University professor Glen Symonds.

Mike Beckett