The former Interislander ferry Aratere has spent months at anchor in Tasman Bay since KiwiRail retired it from the Cook Strait route last August. KiwiRail sold the vessel in October to Jahaj Solutions (FZE), a company that purchased it with the intention of sending it to a shipbreaking yard in India. Now operating under the name Vega, the ship has not left New Zealand waters, and a number of crew members have remained on board throughout.
Accounts received by RNZ from some of those crew members paint a troubling picture. They say they have spent six months at sea and want to be repatriated to their home countries, though these claims cannot be independently verified. According to the crew members who spoke to RNZ, their requests to leave have been refused and they feel compelled to remain on board, with no clear sense of when that might change. They described family obligations, pressing personal responsibilities, and severe mental stress brought on by the prolonged uncertainty.
Maritime NZ has said crew contracts remain current and that no one is being held against their will.
"The ship's operator is planning to repatriate the crew when their contracts expire mid-May or to renegotiate contracts with crew members who wish to do that," Maritime NZ said. "Seafarers wishing to leave the ship before their contracts expire can do so and it is usual in seafarers' contracts they pay their own costs to do that. When the contracts expire, the operator pays for repatriation of the crew."
Vega called into Port Nelson for several days in early April to take on fresh water and supplies and to dispose of waste. Maritime NZ inspectors boarded the vessel while it was in port and spoke with every crew member. None raised welfare concerns during those inspections.
Associate Transport Minister James Meager said he had been briefed by the regulator and was satisfied the contractual arrangements were legitimate. "The safety and care of seafarers is always paramount," he said. "Maritime New Zealand has confirmed to me that it spoke with every crew member on the Vega earlier this month and viewed every contract. All were found to be valid, with an expiry in mid-May for the majority. I'm advised the ship's captain has confirmed plans are underway to repatriate or renegotiate contracts as required prior to expiry."
Meager added that Maritime NZ had made its position on any future non-compliance clear. "Maritime New Zealand have re-iterated that, if anything is found to be out of order, it will use its regulatory powers to ensure that the ship's agent and flag state, St Kitts and Nevis, take appropriate action."
The Human Rights Commission has also been paying attention. Senior adviser Oliver Christeller said the Commission was concerned about the seafarers, noting that foreign workers aboard a non-New Zealand flagged vessel in domestic waters could face difficulties accessing adequate protections. "If people working on the ship wish to return to their country, they should be allowed to do so," he said. "International human rights standards recognise the right to freedom of movement, including to leave any country and to return to their home country."
Christeller said those obligations extended to the businesses involved. "If any workers wish to return home, the owners and other responsible businesses should take active steps to facilitate this. These rights apply to everyone working on the boat and are especially important for workers who have completed their contracted period of work. Workers who remain on board should enjoy decent working and living conditions."
Before Vega can begin the voyage to India, several regulatory requirements remain unresolved. Environmental Protection Authority hazardous substances and new organisms general manager Dr Fernando Torres-Velez said the EPA had not yet received the necessary import consent from the Indian authorities. "We are unable to finalise the export application without such documentation," he said. Torres-Velez confirmed that the vessel remains the responsibility of Jahaj Solutions as the purchasing company.
Vega is expected to return to port at some point to refuel ahead of any departure for India, though Maritime NZ confirmed no firm date had been set for a return to Port Nelson or for when the ship might make the voyage to the breaker's yard. RNZ contacted both Jahaj Solutions and shipping agent Inchcape Shipping Services for comment. Neither responded.
