Farmers on the Chatham Islands are facing the possibility of not being able to ship stock off the island during the busy autumn period next year.
File photo. Photo: RNZ / Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Chatham Islands Shipping Limited runs the only ship, MV Southern Tiare, which carries stock off the island to sales on mainland New Zealand.
The company said the vessel which was almost 35 years old required maintenance and repairs to ensure it was operable and was legally required to enter special survey every five years.
The survey is expected to take four months with the ship being out of action from February 2023.
A barge service will replace the ship for essential imports like food and fuel but the ship cannot carry livestock.
"We have searched across the world for an alternative solution for livestock but as yet there has been nothing identified that can deliver what is required when it is required," a company spokesperson said.
In a notice sent to farmers in June, Chatham Islands Shipping Limited said in any given year it undertook about 26 voyages from the Chatham and Pitt islands with stock capacity of 52,000 sheep.
"In round numbers we work out each cattle beast takes up the space of four sheep."
The company is increasing the number of stock shipments before and after the ship goes for survey to mitigate any issues.
"From June 2022 to January 2023, there are 20 voyages planned with an estimated capacity of 40,000 sheep equivalent units. With the disruption being approximately February to May 2023 we won't be shipping livestock during that period but between June and December 2023 we are planning 22 voyages with an estimated capacity of 44,000 sheep equivalent.
"We have enough capacity even with the service disruption to ship a "normal" years' worth of stock, but just at a different time of the year than some farmers may be used to," the company told farmers.
Chatham Islands farming leader Tony Anderson said the whole situation showed Chatham Islands Shipping Limited had no idea how farming works.
"They could do this November through January and there would be a lot less problems but instead they are doing in the peak time when we normally get stock off the island.
"I mean animals are born in September and weaned around the start to middle of January and they need to be hardened off so the first lambs that can be shipped are in February.
"They can do three voyages in the month of February which means that they might be able to carry 6000 and we'll be left with about 30,000 animals through the middle of winter."
He said he understood the company had been looking world-wide for a replacement ship with no luck but he said a solution was needed.
"I'm not sure where they're sending the ship but a couple of years ago it went to China, it took a month to get there for a month of repairs to then turn around and take a month to get back, they need to send the ship to New Zealand if it means it will be away for less time."
Morale amongst the 40 odd farmers on the island is really low.
"Think about it from your perspective if something goes wrong on a farm on the main land you can react to it - you can get a truck and trailer and transfer animals to another part of the region or country or sell it but if things are going badly wrong here we will have no ability to mitigate the problems that the shipping company is presenting us with.
"I'm hopeful that some sanity may prevail. And people may actually try to resolve this problem and not just think that they can push it on to the farmers and ignore the consequences," he said.