Mana | Movement of the People

 

Reinstate Sacked Chair of TOKM Ngahiwi Tomoana

“The sacked Chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana (TOKM), Ngahiwi Tomoana, should be reinstated following the findings of the Ministerial Inquiry into Foreign Charter Fishing Vessels” says MANA Leader Hone Harawira. “Some suspect that Tomoana was rolled on TOKM because he raised some serious concerns about human rights and the labour conditions on foreign vessels. If that is the case then his concerns have been proven true and he should be leading the charge to clean up any involvement TOKM have with the slavery conditions stated in the report”.

“Why TOKM have responded that they, at this stage, will only accept the first six recommendations is beyond me. They should accept all of the recommendations including the ability to revoke the registration of a Foreign Charter Vessel (FCV), that the health and safety laws that apply in the Employment Act 1992 be extended to the crews of the FCV’s and that our Maritime rules apply to FCV’s. As a Maori company, TOKM need to treat other cultures as they would want to be treated. Hearing that some of the Indonesian fishing crew on Korean-owned boats earn as little as $4000 for two years work is criminal and I hope that TOKM have not been involved with any operators who treat their workers like slaves”.

“I strongly encourage TOKM to reinstate Tomoana as their chair, that they adopt all recommendations made in the report and that they undertake an investigation regarding companies who they are involved with to ensure that human and labour rights are being upheld and that such an investigation is made available for Maori in the form of a report. Anything short of this would be a disgrace for one of Maoridom’s largest businesses and a leader in the fishing industry”.

ENDS