February 15, 2013
Charter vessel bill passes first hurdle
A bill requiring all ship's fishing in New Zealand waters to be flagged as New Zealand vessels by 2016 has passed its first reading.
The bill is in response to a ministerial inquiry into alleged abuse of workers on foreign chartered vessels.
Iwi have expressed concerns about the effect of the changes on the value of their treaty fisheries settlement.
The Māori Party welcomed the bill as a victory for those who advocated for the rights of employees on the ships.
It says reflagging will allow iwi to monitor the operations of vessels they charter.
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