Gerrard Eckhoff, ACT MP and member of the Primary Production Select Committee this week described the scampi inquiry as “one of the most notorious inquires held by a select committee. Allegations of improper practice, sex for questions, free fish meals, are unusual to say the least, especially when levelled at the committee holding the inquiry. “
Few would want to rebut Eckhoff’s assertion that the mess the Scampi inquiry has caused is unusual. Even the most ardent agnostic would thank God that such a disgraceful set of affairs is indeed unusual in NZ. New Zealand’s little economy simply cannot suffer the economic backlash that such allegations of corruption bring and the immeasurable harm such violent and widespread industry infighting causes the reputation of not only the fishery sector but the entire NZ economy.
Overseas industry spectators over the past months have looked aghast as the NZ fishing industry and politicians have become their own worst enemies bickering like a set of twits amongst themselves.
The time has come for the seafood industry leaders to take charge of their own industry again. It is not the time for the NZ seafood industry to bemoan that politicians have stuck their hands in the fish pie and made a mess. The simple fact is that the NZ fishing industry needs to be its own watch dog. Self regulation through ethical practices and honest corporate governance is the best way to show politicians that they are capable of looking after our/ their industry. However when industry infighting, with its precursor greed, is the dominant force in our industry it is little wonder that NZ politicians have been forced to intervene and try and sort out the mess we/they created.
New Zealanders are proud of our can-do, co operative and positive attitude. NZ Fisheries have shown none of that skill set over the last two years. Indeed the industry has acted in a despicable manner. The NZ fisheries sector has become like a particularly tortured soap opera.
Industry leaders have been putting knives in the backs of their long term business partners, giving in to greed and seeking short term profits at the cost of the ultimately more profitable, but admittedly harder, work of securing long term productive working relationships.
It is time for the major fishing companies to stand up and admit guilt for not keeping their decks clean of the corruption and infighting that has now sadly pervaded our industry like a cancer.
With the cutting out of the cancer of infighting the power of politicians will diminish. Seafic, TOKM and the Fishing Industry Guild must now stand up and act. As editor of PortFocus.co.nz I challenge them to work hard, crack some heads together, bruise some of the more colourful, massive fishing industry egos and, in short, do whatever it takes to bring back some respectability to our fishing industry.
It is absolutely pointless moaning about the state of the NZ fishing industry if it is non existent. If you think that is an alarmist comment, contact any of the workers of the ‘Ocean Ranger’, one of the largest fishing vessels to grace NZ waters, which is now tragically tied up indefinitely at Port Nelson because it is uneconomic to send it to sea.
Port Focus Editor's note: Phil Heatley, MP for Whangarei, National Spokesperson for Fisheries, provided the following response to this editorial. “Yes, fisheries is a hotbed of errors and fertile ground for any politician wanting to point score. But this doesn’t improve the industry’s image or the industry’s management. What should happen is some big picture items should be dealt with and ticked off, fixing the boundaries in law and leaving the fishers to fish. Recreational fishing rights, having all fisheries in the QMS, finalising the aquaculture reforms, to name but a few. All these issues in limbo only provide uncertainty and the opportunity for cock-ups and thuggery.”
Gerry Eckhoff MP, Fisheries Spokesman for ACT New Zealand, has provided the following response to this editorial "Thanks for the editorial. It's clear to me the fishing industry needs leadership and statesmanship to emerge to take the industry forward, and to impose upon itself standards and codes of practice in order to manage itself with oversight from a government department. Should the industry ignore their problems (and they are their problems) there is little doubt the fishing industry will be smothered with red tape imposed by central government."
The public increasingly does not trust business. The implications of that for the fishing industry are huge. The fishing industry has a very clear choice to make and it must make it very soon."
More on the Scampi Saga
