N.Z. crew happy to leave Reunion

Press, 5 December 1986, Page 2

N.Z. crew happy to leave Reunion

PA Wellington The four New Zealand fishermen held by the French authorities for three months on La Reunion island have been freed.

Mr Jacques Bernot, a lawyer who represented the New Zealanders — Alastair Austin, aged 22, Arthur Thomas Symes, aged 28, both of Mahia, Michael Kelly Bergin, aged 31, and Wendy Pania Puru, aged 24, of Pukekohe — told NZPA yesterday that the five New Zealanders and Australians freed by an examining magistrate will fly to Mauritius on Monday, to await space on flights to Australia.

Speaking from the island capital of St Denis, Mr Bernot said a Swedish crewman also held by the French would fly to Sweden later today, and the Australian skipper of the Southern Raider, John Chadderton, and his first mate, Alistair Annandale are still being detained.

The French naval patrol vessel Albatros opened fire on the Pana-manian-registered trawler Southern Raider on October 9, after it ignored warning signals while fishing off the island of St Paul, in the middle of the

Indian Ocean. All 23 crew, including New Zealand, Australian, South Korean, and Swedish nationals were taken unharmed to Reunion, off the south-east coast of Africa. The Koreans were released quickly, but nine of the crew were held on charges of illegal fishing and unspecified drug trafficking. They were later released to live in private accommodation on the island, on the condition that they did not flee and did not contact one another. It was reported early last month that the son of the skipper, Darryl Chadderton, had been released.

Mr Bernot said the nonspecific drug charges against the men would soon have to be dropped. “After today’s hearing, six of the crew are free to go,” he said. The charges against them have not been dropped, but the examining magistrate is satisfied there are no grounds for holding them any longer. “Nothing has come to light to confirm the authorities’ suspicions, and in a short time the charges will have to be dropped altogether, as will those against the re-

maining two men, the skipper and his first mate.”

Mr Bernot said the foreigners’ passports, which werebeing held by the court authorities, were returned to them after the hearing at which the magistrate said they could leave the island.

“But funnily enough, although they were being held against their will, when they were freed to go the possibility arose that they could be charged for having no visas and being illegally on La Reunion,” he said. “But we have sorted that out now.”

“They are much relieved and happy to be going home.” The Napier “Daily Telegraph” reported that although all flights to Australasia from Mauritius are fully booked until December 20, the two Mahia men hope to be home by Christmas.

They will be accompanied by Mr Symes’s wife, Diana, who flew to visit her husband late last month.

Mr Austin said he was looking forward to seeing his four-month-old son, Isaac, born while he was fishing.