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Source: ONE News -
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Indonesian crew members who worked on fishing boats on New Zealand waters say they faced months of abuse and were called names like "monkey" and "pigs".
It comes as the Fisheries Ministry yesterday launched a high level inquiry into the conditions of foreign fishing crews working in New Zealand.
It follows allegations foreign fishermen worked in poor safety and working conditions that New Zealand fishermen would be unwilling to work in.
The issue came to a head when three Indonesian crew members were killed after the Korean-registered fishing ship Oyang 70 capsized and sank 800km southeast of Dunedin last year.
Christchurch company Southern Storm Fishing was responsible for the Oyang 70 and its replacement boat, Oyang 75, is also under a multiple-agency investigation in Lyttelton after its Indonesian crew refused to work on it.
One of those fishermen, Sunardi, told ONE News they faced months of abuse and have not been paid properly.
"Every single day they're calling us names such as monkey, s***, pigs," he said.
Another fishermen, Sodikan, said he was whacked behind his head.
"They also used their foot to kick everyone including me."
The Maritime Union say it is an international embarrassment.
"It's a disgrace actually, and New Zealand needs to take a good permanent look at themselves," said Maritime Union General Secretary Joe Fleetwood.
"If they work in our economic zone they should be governed by New Zealand law and legislation."
In a statement, Southern Storm Fishing, the fishing company the men worked for, says the claims are "unsubstantiated and unfounded" and "Southern Storm Fishing has been the subject of an orchestrated campaign against it".
Southern Storm Fishing, which is also facing allegations of fish dumping, said it welcomed the Inquiry
It said the fish dumping claims were made by crew members who left the company's vessel Oyang 75 three weeks ago.
"This is a campaign directed to cause economic and reputational damage to the company."
The company said it "would give the inquiry its full co-operation and looked forward to being given the opportunity to lay to rest unsubstantiated and unfounded allegations".
Inquiry 'necessary'
The Maori Fisheries Trust believes a ministerial inquiry into the fishing industry's use of foreign charter vessels is necessary for the ongoing reputation of New Zealand's fisheries.
Te Ohu Kaimoana (Maori Fisheries Trust) CEO Peter Douglas says the foreign charter fleet is important to the effective operation of New Zealand's fishing industry as a whole, and to iwi.
He says the long-term viability of New Zealand's fishing industry depends on ensuring the total allowable commercial catch is caught economically.
Douglas says widespread competition for annual catch entitlements is essential for iwi to obtain the best returns on their fisheries investments.
The Government's launching of an inquiry may come at the price of a New Zealand free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea, which wants open access for its vessels to this country's exclusive economic zone.
Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley, who earlier this year told Parliament there was no problem with foreign charter vessels (FCVs), and Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson said yesterday the inquiry would consider all issues.
Some of the about 2500 Indonesian, Vietnamese and Filipino men who work on the boats claim they are beaten and forced to work for days without rest, earning between $260 and $460 a month.
Heatley said it was important to affirm New Zealand's international reputation as a world-leading fisheries manager.
- with Newstalk ZB and Fairfax
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