Ship details wanted

Press, 2 September 1977, Page 18

Ship details wanted

(Wellington reporter) ■ I Many sightings of foreign! fishing vessels have not been! fully investigated in the past; because the original report! was not detailed. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fish- I eries has therefore published l : j procedures to be followed. ;i Every effort would be made: to follow up a promptly re-[i ported incident, but little could be done when a report I was received several hours: after the event, the Ministry 1 ] said. As well as details of the; sighting, the Ministry wants! any information about the following matters: Refuelling at sea, particularly; if there is any spillage] of fuel or oil — a sample; should be taken in a! clean container and given! later to a fisheries office.! Transferring cargo and cat-, ches at sea — any un- : usual activities, such as

the movements of the: ocean-going tug attend-! ing the Russian trawl:i fleet during the 1977 sea-; son. Japanese trawlers have aI black hull and buff or white upper works, small superstructure forward, and high “goal post” masts aft. Kor- : ean trawlers are similar Russian trawlers are twotoned. They have a white superstructure and a grey ; hull; each funnel bears a ; hammer-and-sickle symbol on ! ! a red background, marked at: top and bottom by a golden 1 ! yellow band. Small side;] superstructure (huge on big trawlers) amidships. Long-liners are usually , white and clean, and have a low. lean profile. Squid boats, ! if they have been fishing, have a dirty hull and decks — from squid-ink stains. They ] may carry a mizzen sail at • the stern and are brightly lit

: when fishing at night. All reports of sightings! should be sent through the; radio stations at Auckland, ] : Wellington, the Chatham Islands, or Awarua, and should' include seven details. These are the time of sight-: ing; identity of observer (ves-l sei, lighthouse, aircraft, etc.);! position of observer (either latitude and longitude, bear-; ings from at least two land] points, or geographic loca-[ tion; description of the ves-> sei; bearing and estimated dis-; [tance of the vessel from the: 'observer: estimated course! ’and speed of vessel; and derails of any fishing operations seen. The description of the ves-| sei should include the name; and number of vessel (if pos-| sible), its approximate length,] its hull colour, any markings,! the position of the wheelhouse (forward, amidships or! aft), and its nationality (if possible).