Russians Invite Boat Inspection

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31936, 13 March 1969, Page 1

Russians Invite Boat Inspection

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, March 12.

An offer to allow New Zealand naval experts to go over the Russian fishery vessel Kalisto if they wished was made in Wellington by the captain this afternoon.

The Kalisto last month raced to Port Chalmers with a sick seaman on board. When the ship arrived at Port Chalmers it was made strictly off-limits by the authorities and this later led to speculation that the Kalisto was a Russian spy ship posing as a trawler.

Today the Russian Legation in Wellington invited newspaper representatives to inspect the ship. While they were aboard, the Kalisto’s commander (Captain Ivan Maslovets said he would allow New Zealand naval experts to go over the ship if they liked. Captain Maslovets said his ship was concerned mainly with oceanographic investigations, and released its findings on fish movement to anyone that was interested. “The only thing we are spying for is food,” he said. Referring to the off-limits ban on the ship at Port Chalmers, Captain Maslovets said

no-one had been allowed aboard because of an order by the New Zealand health authorities. That was usual when there was a sick man aboard. The newspaper representatives were free to go where they liked aboard and were able to photograph anything they wished.