Commercial boat operators in the Marlborough Sounds are not happy with the proposed safety bylaws which will do little to improve safety on the water. Canterbury Marlborough Rock Lobster Industry spokesman Larnce Wichman explained that commercial fishers already had to pass rigorous examinations to go fishing; they needed to be medically fit and able to operate marine radios and radar.
It is fact that the number of safety incidents involving commercial vessels in the Sounds was not high. Nadine Taylor, a spokeswoman for Nelson Marlborough Paua Industry, agrees if such the case then why they are being charged for harbour safety when we are among the safest people on the water.
It is said that the proposed bylaw would see fishermen and other commercial operators pay substantial annual fees towards safety, on top of those already imposed by Maritime NZ. Commercial fishermen now pay a Maritime NZ marine safety levy of $175 a year for a 12-metre vessel. According to the commercial operators the bylaw is unfair.
It is noted that the bylaw proposed to introduce an Automatic Identification System (AIS) requiring commercial boats to carry transponders that could be monitored by the harbour master’s office.
