August 01, 2013
Guy says iwi exemption no go
If iwi leaders thought they had more sway with the National-led Government than fisheries baron Peter Talley, they have been put in their place by Primary Production Minister Nathan Guy.
Mr Guy has indicated he will veto a change to the Fisheries Amendment Bill which would give iwi an extra four years before they have to use New Zealand-flagged rather than foreign charter vessels to fish their quota.
The Primary Production select committee proposed the change after Iwi argued they needed a transition period because the numbers don’t stack up to buy their own boats to fish for high volume, low value deepwater species like squid and hoki.
Losing access to foreign charters would reduce the value of their fisheries settlement.
Mr Guy says the amendments don’t meet the objective of stamping out bad behaviour on New Zealand waters and send the wrong message to trading partners.
In a letter to Prime Minister John Key, Mr Talley said the exemption for iwi would mean forced labour has been legalised in New Zealand for companies using Māori quota.
Labour MP and former Te Ohu Kaimoana chair Shane Jones says Mr Talley’s claim that iwi are using slave labour to fish their deepwater quota is a lie.
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