31 March 2020

Below you will find information that may be helpful to your organisation courtesy of Seafood New Zealand, including:

  • Contacts for PPE supplies
  • Checklist for processes and procedures to protect your staff
  • Subsidy and support package information
  • Information regarding staff support

Seafood New Zealand is providing COVID-19 updates every day – to receive these pānui, please contact the team via email: info@seafood.org.nz

Business continues as usual for Te Ohu Kaimoana, with our staff working from home on a raft of issues. Tomorrow the team will meet (online) with Fisheries New Zealand in order to confirm processes/guidelines regarding customary fishing at this time. An update on the outcomes of this hui will be provided to Iwi on Thursday.

If there is any assistance that Te Ohu Kaimoana can offer your organisation at this time, please contact us on (04) 931 9500 or via email at: ika@teohu.maori.nz

Subsidies and assistance

The Government has implemented a number of support packages for businesses to help get through the COVID-19 crisis, including wage subsidies. Information on support packages for businesses, including wage subsidies can be found here.

The wage subsidy application form can be found here.

Staff support

  • It is highly likely that your staff may be feeling anxious or scared, regardless of whether they are working from home or are coming to work on-site.  It is a perfectly normal response.  However, there are things that you can do to help. Reassure your staff that you are doing everything you can to protect them while they are at work.  If they need more assurance, give them a copy of the ‘Infection prevention and control advice’ which you can download from the Ministry of Health’s website, it provides good information about preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, it can be found here.
  • Give them tips on what they can do to help while they are at home. Things like, using technology to stay connected with whānau and friends not living with them.  Other things like, maintaining some form of exercise, taking time to relax and sticking to a routine may all help your staff to get through this challenging time. Again, the Ministry of Health’s website is a good source of information for maintaining well-being, see link.
  • Please see this checklist to use as a guide to confirm whether you have the processes and procedures in place to protect your staff from the transmission of COVID-19 checklist here
  • Support networks – There are also many support networks available to help people.  ‘Text 1737’ is there to support with grief, anxiety, distress or mental well-being, you can call or text 1737 to talk with a trained counsellor for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Contacts

New Zealand Uniforms
Email: shaun.crockford@nzuniforms.com
Ph: 021 702 557

Hibiscus Solutions
Email: CarolynSutton@hibiscus-solutions.com

Ministry for Primary Industries

Operators looking to register as an essential service or with essential service-related queries must contact MPI directly:

Ph: 0800 00 83 33

Email: info@mpi.govt.nz

FishServe

FishServe is operating as normal, with a helpline available for all FishServe-related queries. You can also fill out their online form.

Ph: 04 460 9555.
Email: helpline@fishserve.co.nz