Editorial from Issue 50 of Professional Skipper (by kind permission of Professional Skipper, published by VIP Publications Ltd)

The season for pirates

Would you believe it! As the end of summer nears we have received many reports of pirate activity around our coast.

Some are just well-found pleasure boat owners out to make a buck while the sun shines. Unfortunately many ex-commercial craft still displaying old Maritime Safety Authority numbers are also being used for hire and reward, even though they are out of survey. Even former fishing boats feature, with the most recent example being the Happy II working out of Tauranga.

It is reported that in some areas the pirates are busier than the bona fide operators. In saying this, the list of suspect operators is too long to fit on this page. So what do we do about this old and growing problem?

Granted, we are quick to complain in the club or bar. Equally, we are quick to criticise the officers of Maritime New Zealand for their apparent inaction. While not defending some of these officials, it would be fair to say that Maritime NZ has not been able to effectively enforce the Maritime Transport Act 1994 and control the high level of illegal activity we see around the coast. Or is it just perception?

Some say the officials are quick to visit the legitimate operator while ignoring illegal competition just along the pier. Some say the officials are weak and do not like the confrontation of being pirate policemen. Many others are less than complimentary in their accusations when saying that the officials no longer respect the source of confidential information.

In saying this, the industry itself is not without blame and could do more to assist. Yes I know that fears of repercussions are real and, equally, we have one of the hardest working pirates in my patch at Half Moon Bay, yet Maritime NZ appear to be helpless. But is this any reason to let them get away with it?

Because of the purported regular breaches of confidentiality of complaint sources by Maritime NZ staff, and the very real concerns of repercussions on operators who do complain, Professional Skipper magazine has decided to be proactive and give the commercial operators an opportunity to voice their complaints in confidence.

After discussions with the New Zealand Marine Transport Association, and after seeking legal advice, we have sponsored the web site www.pirates.net.nz which will give operators the chance to lodge a complaint and dob in a suspected pirate confidentially. This simple site and complaint form will still require all complainants to give us their name and contact details for our verification purposes. Only the complaint information pertaining to the suspected pirate will be forwarded to Maritime NZ. Once they have investigated the complaint, the outcome will be forwarded to the complainant and posted on the web site. Remember, photographic evidence is good.

If the industry is going to control this problem, we must step up and take responsibility.