Trawler’s captain to face charges

Press, 4 March 1978, Page 6

Trawler’s captain to face charges

PA Wellington Nine informations have been laid against the captain and two crew members of the arrested Japanese fishing boat Taiko Maru No. 2. They are summoned to appear in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court on Monday morning.

Each faces three charges laid under the Exclusive Economic Zone (Interim Measures for Foreign Fishing Craft) Regulations, 1977. The boat’s captain, Ryusuke Nagase, aged 39, and two crew members received <mirt summonses from Mr O. Moore, the senior fisheries officer in Wellington at 4 p.m. yesterday, after departmental inspectors had spent most of the day thoroughly checking the boat.

Captain Nagase had spent some time during the afternoon with a solicitor, Mr T. J. Broadmore. who was appointed to represent the crew bv the company’s i agents. Mr Moore said that although nine charges had been laid against the men,

not all necessarily would be pushed. Some, he said, were alternative charges.

For the other 37 crew the next few days will be something of a holiday; they have unrestricted passage on and off the boat.

Fifty tonnes of fish is in the vessel, most of it having been through the boat’s fish processer. Another three tonnes will be taken off the boat and dumped somewhere today.

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries officials yesterday tried to arrange a truck to dispose of the fish found in the allegedly undersized net. The fish lay on the open, deck rotting, only seagulls giving it any attention.

The police have kept a iconstable on duty at the foot 'of the gangway.

The Minister of Fisheries (Mr Bolger) said information he received was that the ship was arrested for “allegedly using an undersize mesh net.”

NZPA-Reuter reports from Tokyo that Japanese Government officials fear that the seizing of the latest Japanese boat will adversely affect the already strained relations between the two countries. The incident would harm Japan’s position in talks with the New Zealand Government for fishing rights in the 200-mile offshore zone to be proclaimed on April 1, said Fishery Agency officials. Japan would make every effort to start negotiations for fishing rights in the zone, the officials said, reiterating Tokyo’s stand that fishery and trade should be discussed as separate issues.

The former Japanese Agriculture Minister (Mr Suzuki) last month visited Wellington for talks on the issue, but made no headway. Mr Suzuki met the New Zealand Ambassador (Mr Roderick Miller) in Tokyo this week, but again no progress was made on breaking the deadlock, informed sources said.

Fishery Agency officials said Japan could not make any major trade concessions in talks with Wellington, however, if no agreement was reached by April 1, the Japanese Government would instruct some of its vessels forced from the zone to go to other areas, including off South Africa.

Japan had been conducting “successful” negotiations with South Africa, and quotas were expected to be announced soon, they said.