Japanese Mother Ship May Be Forfeited

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31772, 31 August 1968, Page 1

Japanese Mother Ship May Be Forfeited

(N Z Press Association)

AUCKLAND, Aug. 30.

The Minister of Marine (Mr Scott) said from his home at Whenuapai tonight that he had made no decision whether the Japanese dories caught yesterday within New Zealand fisheries waters, or their mother ship th e Kaiko Maru No. 25 would be confiscated.

The dories and mother ship would remain in forfeit until a decision was made, probably on Monday, Mr Scott said. He would return to Wellington on Sunday before making any decision. The master of the trawler and three crew members were released from custody tonight after their fines, totalling $2lOO, had been paid by the trawling company’s agents in Wellington. , The master of the ship was

fined $l5OO in the Whangarei Magistrate’s Court today on a charge that he was deemed to be fishing inside New Zealand waters. A dory from his ship was fishing within the three-mile limit near Sugar Loaf Rock south-east of Doubtless Bay yesterday. Three fishermen found in the dory were each fined $2OO for fishing within New Zealand waters.

Mr J. B. Bergin, S.M., ordered immediate payment of the fines, in default three months imprisonment -for each man. In addition to the fines, Mr Bergin ordered court costs of $5 and solicitors fees of $7 on each charge. Mr A. M. Morrison, for the Marine Department, said that two dories were seen within the three-mile limit yesterday and one was apprehended and towed to Mangonui. The New Zealand territorial waters were the three-mile limit, and the fishing waters extended 12 miles from the coast. By an agreement between the New Zealand and Japanese Governments, certain Japanese ships were given a licence to fish within the six-to-12 mile limits. The Kaiko, Maru No. 25 held one of the special privilege licences. The mother ship was deemed to be fishing where the dory was found, he said. BREACH OF LICENCE Mr Morrison said the Crown took a serious view of the offence. The Kaiko Maru was specially privileged under the New Zealand-Japan agreement, “and these special privileges have been abused.” Mr B. Brown, for the defendants, said the fishermen were confused over territorial and fishing waters. They were instructed to take such care as they could not to stray within the three-mile limit. The Japanese Vice-Consul (Mr Hiroshi Tsuruhara), who was at the court, has told the master of the ship not to sail until a decision has been made about forfeiture of the ship. z . The mother ship herself was not caught fishing inside the three-mile limit yesterday. But under an amendment to the Fisheries Act, which was passed by Parliament last, year, the mother ship is [deemed to be "illegally fish-

ing” if any of her dories are caught breaking the law. Under long-standing law any boats used in illegal fishing become forfeit and the Minister of Marine (Mr Scott) is charged with deciding how to dispose of them. DORY KEPT When a Japanese dory was caught off Whakatane last year and the crew were convicted, Mr Scott decided to keep the dory. Recently, however, New Zealand fishing companies found guilty of fisheries breaches have usually been offered the return of their boats on payment of a redemption fee which, in the case of bad breaches by larger companies, has reached $lOOO.