Editorial: Marine police force needed

One of the ships flaunting the Poor Knights Island exclusion zone

Ships seem to be playing "catch me if you can" with the Poor Knights by entering the islands' exclusion zone and scurrying off when warned.

This may explain the lenient approach taken by Maritime New Zealand towards 17 ships that breached international sea law last year. None were fined despite being subject to a $12,000 fine (plus a skipper's penalty of $2000).

The infringement notice must be served when the vessel is in New Zealand waters.

Given the ships are breaking the law when leaving New Zealand, there would seem to be a legislative flaw with the law.

Since December 2004, ships longer than 45 metres have had to stay at least five nautical miles east of the Poor Knights.

Between 2009 and 2014, there have been 106 breaches. That's nearly $1.3 million in fines that have not been collected. A few weeks ago, this newspaper suggested fewer people would drown in Northland - indeed in New Zealand - if a water-based policing/enforcement agency existed, gathering revenue via fines for not wearing life jackets or boating infringements. And perhaps slapping tankers with infringement notices while they are still in our waters.

Why not a water-based policing system? We have one for our roads, partially funded by infringement notices.

And consider this - what would happen if we let people drive vehicles, without a licence or training, as we do with boats?

Marine conservationist Wade Doak, who campaigned for the law preventing ships sailing too close to the reserve, was astounded by the number of ships breaking the law.

He must feel let down: did he campaign for nothing, not even a slap on the wrist with a water-logged bus ticket?

The current attitude towards the ships breaching the law is lip service to conservationists and an insult to people like Doak.

I look forward to the explanation from MNZ's stammering lips when one of those law-breaking ships runs aground on the Knights.