Ship jumpers in New Zealand

Ship-jumpers in NZ

Ship-jumpers worry Govt.

Christchurch Press. Anna Claridge and NZPA. 14 December 2004.

More than 100 foreign fishermen are being hunted by immigration service Christchurch staff after jumping ship at South Island ports.

Figures released by the service show 152 crewmen absconded from South Island ports in the past year and 106 of them have yet to be found.

The Government says the figures are disappointing and is now considering banning foreign fishermen as the number of ship deserters increases.

Associate Immigration minister Damien O’Connor said yesterday the Government had been aware of the problem for some time.

“It is fuelled by a downturn in the industry and payment to crew. Bonuses have been less and the fishermen no doubt see greater opportunities on shore with the very buoyant labour market.

“No government can turn a blind eye or tolerate this ongoing behaviour … we want to sort this out as quickly as possible,” O’Conner said.

The Government had successfully prosecuted syndicates of illegal workers in the past and was now investigating whether information about jobs within New Zealand was being passed on to fishing crew.

Immigration Service figures show almost 80 of the crewmen who have deserted ships in the last year were from Vietnam, 52 from Indonesia and 18 from China.

“The vessels that the ship jumpers come from are chartered to New Zealand fishing companies who replace deserters with replacement crew,” the service said.

“When NZIS is notified of ship deserters their work permits are revoked and when located they are removed from New Zealand at company expense.”

As a result of the surge in ship jumpers, immigration laws have recently been tightened and only single trip visas are now issued, rather than multiple entry work visas.

The Government was also considering making fishing companies pay a band for each worker which they would lose if the foreign crew member jumped ship.

An investigation by the Department of Labour is already underway after concerns were raised about the employee conditions on boats.

The department is to examine whether ships comply with New Zealand labour and immigration laws.

The Government moves come after 13 foreign overstayers, including nine of the sought ship jumpers, were arrested in Blenheim last week.

Marlborough Contractors’ Federation chairman Bob Lee said the industry had “an inkling” there was organization behind illegal workers coming to Marlborough, including those jumping ships at South Island ports.

“It has to be orchestrated. All you have to do is do your sums.”

The industry had lost 600 workers when special work permit variations expired two months ago and about 100 new permits had since been issued, but there was a large number of workers in Marlborough vineyards.

“Where are the rest coming from? He asked.

The federation was concerned that those who employed illegal workers were seldom prosecuted.

Maritime Union general secretary Trevor Hanson said an upsurge in Chinese shipping had increased the number of foreign crew members jumping ship.

Many foreign crews were badly paid and forced to live in poor onboard conditions, he said.

“It is often a case of them coming here, seeing the country and deciding that this is a much better place than what they are used to.”