Seafood industry donors lobby Jones over wine and oysters

Shane Jones is meeting tonight with leaders of an industry that he’s promised to champion.

Heavyweights of the seafood sector including Moana NZ boss Steve Tarrant, Sealord head Doug Paulin, Talley’s Group chief executive Tony Hazlett, Sanford wildcatch general manager Colin Williams and Seafood NZ lobbyist Dr Jeremy Helson gathered at Eight Plates restaurant in Nelson for the meeting.

But some of the attendees like Sealord and Talley’s have previously donated to NZ First election campaigns, so the meeting has raised eyebrows among environmentalists.

Barry Weeber, the co-chair of Environment and Conservations Organisations NZ, said despite requests for meetings with the new minister, they hadn’t received any invitations.

Jones has already come under fire from environmental groups at international fisheries talks this months, after New Zealand backed away from a deal to protect seamounts, while the new minister takes stock.

And he’s harpooned plans for a vast Kermadec marine sanctuary – it’s now sunk as deep as the 10,000 metre ocean trench.

Weeber says a politician who’s receiving donations from the fishing industry should not be put in charge of fisheries: “There’s clearly conflicts of interest,” he says.

In the Labour-NZ First coalition in 2017, former prime minister Jacinda Ardern refused to give Jones the fisheries portfolio because of the perception of conflict.

Weeber says: “I totally agree he should meet with industry leaders. Just as he should meet with the environmental sectors, and the recreational sector and others. There are there are a whole bunch of different of interests in fisheries – it’s not just the commercial sector.”

“I fear that if the fishing industry doesn’t have a consistent champion, then … we are witnessing the complete drift towards outlawing New Zealand’s participation in international fisheries.”

Shane Jones, Minister of Fisheries

But Jones rejects the criticism of his behind-closed-doors meetings with the “barons of the fishing industry”.

“Sadly, it won’t be happening in a cigar smoke filled room,” the minister tells Newsroom. “It will involve all of the big players in the existing industry. But no one should be fearful that I’m unwilling to front up to them.”

He’ll follow up tonight’s canapés and drinks with a formal session on Monday at the Ministry for Primary Industries in Wellington, led by chief executive Ray Smith and Seafood NZ leadership. He plans this to be the first of regular quarterly meetings with the industry.

“We have to recover lost ground. I fear that if the fishing industry doesn’t have a consistent champion, then … we are witnessing the complete drift towards outlawing New Zealand’s participation in international fisheries.

“So I’ll ensure aquaculture and commercial fishing are well and truly advocated for, in our government’s economic strategy.”

Jones says he’s asked the Ministry of Primary Industries to set up a session where he’ll meet environmental and iwi groups in due course, but those meetings will mainly be delegated to his Parliamentary under-secretary for oceans, NZ First’s Jenny Marcroft.

“You can just piss off, cobber, piss off.”

Sir Peter Talley, Talley’s Group

“Obviously, I’m a creature of the industry, having been the former chair of Sealord and the Māori Fisheries Commission.

“And a key outcome for this Government is an export-led recovery. No one should doubt the level of passion and motivation I have to rehabilitate the fortunes of the commercial fishing industry to be a greater contributor to our export recovery.”

Industry leaders say they are looking forward to putting their case to the minister on matters including seamount trawling, in the Hauraki Gulf, in New Zealand waters, and in the high seas of the South Pacific. And they’ll be enjoying some local seafood.

(Theq restaurant says the canapés include Marlborough oysters, both natural and tempura, and a ceviche of New Zealand trevally).

Doug Paulin says the industry can’t afford all the increasing compliance costs heaped upon it, for research, observers, cameras on boats, and more.

“If you continue to just push that levy up, at some point, economically, you actually can’t continue to fish,” he tells Newsroom. “And last year, every deepwater fishing company had very difficult years.”

Tony Hazlett says: “We are interested to talk to the Minister about protecting jobs for workers, fishers and their families, ensuring fishing has a sustainable future, and sorting out the rules and regulations around programmes such fishing fleet cameras, and discards and landings.”

Sanford’s acting chief executive Craig Ellison, who previously worked closely with Jones on the Waitangi Fisheries Commission, said the company sought a constructive relationship with all incumbent governments and ministers, to ensure the best policy settings for a sustainable fishing industry – “upon which many New Zealanders depend for their livelihoods”.

He welcomes Jones as “an industry champion with deep industry experience and knowledge”.

Sanford has not made any political donations, he adds, “but we do not criticise those who have”.

Other industry leaders (and former donors) have less to say about their meeting with the minister: “You can just piss off, cobber, piss off,” says Sir Peter Talley.