Police And Defence Informed Of Fisheries Strike

“Our union is informing local Police and the Department of Defence of the impact of the strike by fishery officers tomorrow since it appears the Ministry has not called on them for extra help,” Martin Cooney, organiser with the National Union of Public Employees (NUPE) said today.

“It appears that the Fisheries Compliance Manager Dave Wood’s ‘contingency plans’ for dealing with protecting the country’s fisheries from poachers on Friday do not include notifying and bringing in the groups who are deemed by law as Fishery Officers,” said Martin Cooney.

“Under the law members of the New Zealand Police and the New Zealand defence forces are deemed to be fishery officers by the Fisheries Act 1996,” said Martin Cooney. “NUPE informed the Police Association of the strike on 20 October so they could let Officers know there could be extra work tomorrow.”

“The Ministry will leave its Honorary Fishery Officers (who are volunteers but have some of the roles of Fishery Officers) exposed to extra risk if they are not using the Police and or Army,” said Martin Cooney. “To imagine the non-Union staff who are mostly normally office based can do the Fishery Officers job makes a mockery of the training that Fishery Officers undertake.”

“Overall, to use the Volunteers, office staff and pray for rain instead of calling in the Police and Defence Forces is irresponsible,” said Martin Cooney. “NUPE gave two week’s notice of the strike to ensure contingency plans could be put in place. The job is dangerous and requires staff able to confront the professional poachers who will be having a field day.”

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