Fishing inquiry must look at local jobs

The Government inquiry into the fishing industry needs to be comprehensive and look at how the significant job losses in the industry can be turned around, the Green Party said today.

The Green Party supported the Service and Food Workers Union petition which was presented to the Primary Production Select Committee today. It called for an extensive inquiry into the industry.

"We are a nation surrounded by water. Developing a sustainable local fishing industry that provides good local jobs is smart economics," said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei.

"The narrow inquiry into the exploitative treatment of foreign workers needs to be extended to also look at the disgraceful treatment of local workers too.

"Thousands of fishery workers, many of them Maori, have lost their jobs in recent years. We need to know why an industry that is so central to our economy is not better supporting local jobs.

"The Service and Food Workers Union are right to call for an extension to the Government inquiry and the Green Party supports their petition," said Ms Turei.