Master of Kin Nan cannot pay his fines

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34130, 17 April 1976, Page 1

Master of Kin Nan cannot pay his fines

(N.Z. Press Association)

NEW PLYMOUTH, April 16.

Weng Chang Ngan, the master of the Taiwanese vessel. Kin Nan, cannot pay the $llOO fines imposed on him in the New Plymouth Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

And the 31-year-old master, married with one child, does not know where the money is going to come from. A nervous looking Weng spoke to reporters, with the aid of an interpreter, soon after his conviction on charges of fishing in New Zealand territorial waters and failing to comply with the requirements of a fisheries officer.

Obviously tired from the ordeal which began 17 days ago when the first shots were fired as the boat sped out to sea off Taranaki, Weng said he does not know what will happen to him.

His boat has been confiscated and by law he is not allowed to leave the country until the fines are paid. But he has no money. He knows that when he

returns to Taiwan he and his crew will be without jobs.

Fishing is the only thing he can do, and his family is dependent on his $6O a month income from squid fishing. The same applies to the rest of his crew.

“He thinks he will be in a great deal of trouble when he gets home,” said interpreter, Mr Peter Ling. When asked if there was apy great pressure from his company in Taiwan for his boat to catch more fish, he replied with a simple, “No.”

He said they were paid an average of $6O a month but if the boat caught less than the company’s required monthly limit they were paid less. If they caught more than the limit they received bonuses.

The fate of the Kin Nan still hangs in the balance. Today, Mr R. J. Somerville, one of the two counsel for the'master, said in New Plymouth that his firm had been instructed to appeal against the convictions. “If an appeal is successful on both charges, the Kin Nan reverts to its owners, but at the moment it is deemed to be the property of the Minister” (of Agriculture and Fisheries), said Mr Somerville. The Kin Nan was automatically forfeited on the master’s conviction, and is now under confiscation at Port Taranaki, with the crew on board. The disposal of the vessel

will be decided solely by the Minister (Mr Maclntyre) but yesterday both Mr Somerville and the senior inspector of fisheries at Palmerston North (Mr S. J. McGregor) said

they did not expect to hear! of any decision before Tues-lj day. (Report of end of court i, case on page 3.) II