Squid ship intervention

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33128, 19 January 1973, Page 1

Squid ship intervention

<Xcu' Zealand Prc»* Atsuctattot • WELLIXGTOX. January IS.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has intervened in the impasse oxer the I as Palmas-based squid ship Dagon. which has been at the Wellington overseas passenger terminal since December 27 because of lack of funds.

The 11 sailors who comprise the crew — 10 Taiwanese and one Portuguese—refused to sail from Wellington when the vessel called to refuel, en route to Panama, because they had not been paid for several months. Since then, the crew has been told that their pay is waiting for them in a bank; at Panama. Departmental officials are) investigating what can be ■ done to help the vessel, a source in the ministry said. ' The ship cannot sail until) either its owner in Rome ori its charterer in Las Palmas ; (Canary Islands) send money to pay for fue] and additions 1 provisions needed for the) voyage to Panama, as well as; harbour fees and wharf I charges owing to the Wellington Harbour Board. NO WORD So far, no word has come' from either the owner or the charterer. Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources said that the Dagon matter had become a legal

tangle that no-one seemed willing to unravel. “Although it is a shipping matter and a Harbour Board matter, we cannot see how we can ignore it any longer.” the source said. “We are talking to people involved with the problem in an attempt to analyse it.” The fact that most of the crew were Taiwanese was not the main problem for the ministry. “The problem is that those who own and operate the ship are not carrying out their responsibilities. The question is how we can encourage them to do so, and do we have any influence in the matter?” The ministry was not aware of the Dagon's problems until two days ago, even though it has been in port for 22 days. CABLEGRAMS SENT Meanwhile, the Wellington Harbour Board has cabled both the owner and the charterer in the hope of getting action. The board’s general manager (Mr R. R. Reeves) said that he met the Dagon’s captain today to discuss the ; matter, but could not comment on the talks. He did 'say that the board “had the I power to take appropriate

laction to recover its! charges.” But the charges must reach a certain amount before anv, action was justified. The crew had rejected an offer of financial help from the Wellington Seamen's i ! Union The union's secretary (Mr J. Woodsi said he visited 'he ship this afternoon and spoke 1 to the crew through the mate, | [who acted as interpreter. "We intended making a cash contribution of $250 for the; crew to use to buy food." Mr Woods said. “We told them [they couldn't use the monev to buy fuel, since that was the owner’s responsibility. Bat the c rew. through the

'interpreter, was quite ala mant that they didn't want any help." I Mr Woods said there could [have been pressure put on ithe crew not to accept any formal assistance because of the problems Taiwanese ships had l>een having in New Zea land waters recently. Earlier reports said that [the crew was tunning out of (food, and were down to [several bags of rice. Mr Woods said the crew was [eating a meal during his visit consisting of rice, herrings, [and another meat dish “But I don't know whether they bought the herrings or caught them themselves." he said