STRONGER TOGETHER

AT AIR CHATHAMS we love connecting Kiwis across the country. We’re a family owned and operated airline and we know the importance of being with family and friends, but we also know how important regional links throughout Aotearoa New Zealand are to our local businesses, whether it is vital supplies to remote communities, specialists and business people who need to get around the country, or industries that need to get their products to market, nationally or around the world. And those regional links have never been more important than throughout the trying times of the pandemic, when a lot of livelihoods depended on being able to think outside of the box, work smart as well as hard, and keep locals in jobs.

We’re grateful to all those that have supported us over the last two years - and really proud to have been able to play a part in supporting others; helping mates is a Kiwi thing, and it’s been an honour to be able to help our friends at Port Nicholson Fisheries keep on keeping on.

Port Nicholson Fisheries has been catching live crayfish (known internationally as rock lobster) from the waters around New Zealand for over 50 years. The company is 100% owned by Māori and has grown to become the country’s secondlargest exporter of live lobster, embodying the traditional values of authenticity, responsible harvesting of seafood resources, and deep respect for our communities, and these long-held values underpin their investment in technology and processing, delivering the highest quality product for their customers and a better future for generations to come.

Working on a crayfishing boat is genuinely hard yakka, but the work doesn’t stop when you return to port; then the catch has to be sorted and put into ‘fly bins’ ready to be flown out to the Asian destinations that are the majority of Port Nicholson Fisheries business. And with ports closed and airlines grounded under COVID-19 restrictions, that business was suddenly on decidedly shaky ground.

“There was just so much uncertainty due to the newness of the pandemic,” says Shannon Peni, Chatham Islands Area Manager for Port Nicholson Fisheries, “and we were really unsure of what we were dealing with. We had crayfish in holding pots and both of our depots were full, so our biggest challenge was trying to stay on the front foot and move our product as fast as we could before other unforeseen circumstances closed our doors completely.” “The logistics of moving our cray off Chatham Island during this time - as in the past - was assisted greatly by Vinessa Tuuta and her team in the Air Chathams office, as well as Joe Breeze and his ground crew out at the airport. They were always just a phone call away and always had a really can-do attitude. This was very reassuring, and it meant there was never a time that we thought, ‘Uh oh, we’re in trouble’ - instead it was just a matter of rolling with the punches and working through each issue as it came at us.”

“And Air Chathams really came to the party for us. Not only were they moving our product directly off the Chatham Islands, but due to Air New Zealand not having regular flights nationally we used utilised

Air Chathams to move our product within New Zealand as well. This mutual support has meant our relationship has only grown stronger. Vinessa and the team have been key here on the Island for logistics on all Air Chatham flights, and working closely together has proved to be beneficial to both parties, as we can help her out if she needs cargo or we can help her out if she needs freight coming back due to unforeseen circumstances. Knowing her and the team were there, meant we knew we were going to get through whatever COVID threw at us!”

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Vinessa, who is Air Chathams’ Office Manager on Chatham Island, says working with Port Nicholson has been great and it’s been a pleasure to help out. “If I get a phone call at 4am from a fisherman to tell me they cannot lift their crayfish for the morning flight because of a breakdown or rough seas,” she says, “then my first call out is to Shannon, knowing that they will do their utmost to make it happen to fill the space that is suddenly available - and that cooperation goes both ways.”

“Being island based, as an airline we are quite in tune with the challenges faced by businesses and residents here. As the community, by its nature, is closely connected we know that by helping out others where we can, we are effectively helping ourselves.”

While there are still challenges on the horizon, Port Nicholson Fisheries feel that they have weathered the worst of the storm and are looking forward to a bit more certainty - in as much as that is possible when you make your living on the high seas!

Port Nicholson Fisheries has been catching live crayfish from the waters around New Zealand for over 50 years

“Our future looks good,” says Shannon, “all of our seven depots are still operating, and our fishermen are still fishing, so we must be winning. Our sellers keep us updated on a regular basis and our boss Mark Hones keeps his finger on the pulse for any world or national events that may affect business. We are a really proactive company so if changes are needed to be implemented, we’ll do it.”

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