Key promises fishing action

Danya Levy reports:

Prime Minister John Key says the Government will address alleged abuse on foreign fishing vessels despite the South Korean government sending a delegation to New Zealand to investigate the claims.

Last year all 32 Indonesian crew on the Korean Oyang 75 walked off the fishing vessel alleging sexual and physical abuse.

A New Zealand joint ministerial inquiry earlier this year found Korean fishing charters were damaging New Zealand’s international reputation.

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea launched an investigation into the alleged abuse and visited New Zealand to investigate.

It said last week there was a “possibility” a Korean crew member on Oyang 75 sexually abused six Indonesians.

The Prime Minister’s office this morning confirmed a delegation of South Korean investigators would be visiting New Zealand.

Key said there would be a resolution to problems aboard foreign fishing vessels “irrelevant of what the Koreans do”.

“The Government’s going to address the issue,” he told Radio Live.

There had been problems with foreign fishing charters for “a very long time”.

“We want to ensure people who operate in the New Zealand environment whether it’s on the sea or on the land, abide by our laws.”

A welcome pledge. It has been obvious that the agreements the (mainly Korean) FCVs sign up to is not enforced.

The scale of the abuses that occur on some of the FCVs is horrific. We’re talking near slavery and rape.