Call for tougher stance on ship deserters

More than 150 foreign crew deserted their ships in New Zealand ports in the year up to June, prompting calls for the Government to take a tougher stance on ship-jumping.

But the Department of Labour says it is confident the six Vietnamese ship-jumpers caught in Nelson this week did not leave their vessels because of the standards aboard.

The men deserted their ships at Lyttelton and Nelson ports more than a year ago, but were found on Tuesday night at three homes in Nelson.

They are being held in custody in the Nelson police cells, but are expected to be sent home to Vietnam in the next few days.

Department of Labour group manager for border security Api Fiso said it was the responsibility of the shipping agents to return the men to Vietnam and cover the costs.

The department will not say what ships the men deserted.

Figures supplied to the Nelson Mail show that between July 1 last year and June 30 this year 152 foreign crew members deserted their ships while berthed at New Zealand ports.

Maritime Union general secretary Trevor Hanson said that given the high number of foreign crew jumping ship in New Zealand it was time the Government took a tougher stand.

"Something hard has got to happen."

Mr Hanson said if New Zealand companies were going to continue bringing foreign ships and crew to fish New Zealand quota in joint ventures, ship-jumping was going to continue unless the government took some action.

Some crew from poorer countries jumped ship after "looking over the side" and seeing what New Zealand offered, he said.

Mr Hanson said before foreign crew were allowed to come to New Zealand there should be assurances given that they would not jump ship and that there were good conditions on board the boats to stop them wanting to leave.

If those conditions were not met and crew jumped ship, the vessels should not be allowed to return to New Zealand, Mr Hanson said.

The union has said some foreign crew working in New Zealand waters are subject to exploitation, low pay and abuse.

- nzpa