MICHAEL FIELD A United Nations expert on human trafficking has called for New Zealand to act over allegations of slavery on foreign charter boats fishing mainly Maori quotas in the country's exclusive economic zone.
It comes as both Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson and Fishing Minister Phil Heatley deny there is any problem with the approximately 2500 men working in what have been described as sweatshop conditions on 21 ageing Asian boats.
The Sunday Star-Times reported last weekend that the men are beaten and forced to work for days without rest, earning between $260 and $460 a month.
Their catch, worth about $300 million a year, is marketed to the world as "Produce of New Zealand".
Matt Friedman, regional programme manager in Bangkok for the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking, said: "This kind of thing must be stopped."
He said though there were good and bad boats, it was hard to police because crews spoke languages not spoken by authorities.
"Governments don't like to tinker around with industries that add to their economy," Mr Friedman said. "The trick is to stop the slave boats without hurting the legitimate businesses."
He said there were 26 million people living in slavery around the world.
"Many people don't know about this problem. Unlike trafficking into the sex industry, this industry is just now being exposed. But slavery on to boats appears to be a common problem all over the world."
A newly formed Hong Kong anti-slavery group, the Mekong Club, said New Zealanders should not be surprised at what was happening.
"The extreme slavery found within the Asian fishing industry festers just off our shores," said New Zealander Jude Mannion, who helped found the group.
"Every day, young men are tricked on to boats believing they can work a few months to make good money to send home," she said.
"But the reality is that many are held on boats for years; often beaten, drugged, forced to work seven days a week and thrown overboard if they become sick or troublesome. And to add insult to injury, they receive no money after returning to port.
"It's possible that what we are discovering here is the tip of a highly exploitative economic model that is growing within our region."
However, Mr Heatley told Parliament there was not a problem and said the previous Labour government had made changes to the law that were "entirely adequate".
Mrs Wilkinson said the Labour Department had a regular audit programme on labour standards on fishing boats.
"The point the UN raises about the difficulties language barriers can bring in enabling crews to speak out about any problems is very true," she said.
"These workers aren't New Zealand citizens, aren't employed on New Zealand-operated vessels, they often don't speak English and leave our waters once fishing is finished."
She said it was important to report evidence of crew mistreatment, unsafe boats or unsound fishing.
Action urged after boat slavery claims | Stuff.co.nzSource: stuff.co.nz
