Navy ship HMNZS Taupō returns to Whangārei after patrolling for illegal fishing

The Taupō will be in Whangārei this week after travelling as far as Samoa to catch those who were engaged in illegal fishing.

After patrolling the high seas both in New Zealand and abroad, navy inshore patrol vessel the HMNZS Taupō will be returning to its home port in Whangārei this week.

The 55-metre ship, built in Whangārei and launched in 2009, will be open to visitors at Port Nikau on Saturday.

The visit makes up for one cancelled earlier this year and sees the Taupō returning to its home port or the area it represents, said executive officer Lieutenant Sam Wilson.

“Each ship has a home port. Our home port is Whangārei, which makes it a bit more significant for us,” Wilson said.

The Taupō is currently patrolling the waters between Auckland and Cape Rēinga, monitoring and reporting any fishing activity going on, Wilson said.

Earlier this year, the ship was deployed to the Pacific to help support the Samoan Maritime Police and Customs in patrolling their exclusive economic zone.

Called Operation Calypso, the mission saw the vessel travelling further than any other New Zealand inshore patrol vessel to help the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

Wilson said another major focus has been training the young crew in the likes of navigation and engineering, with the Taupō’s core crew of 24 currently boosted to 38, Wilson said.

“The navy is very much on a big training cycle at the moment.”

Visitors to the vessel can expect to see everything from the bridge to accommodation and common areas.

Highlights includes the Taupō’s large rigid-hull inflatable boats and its gun deck, which includes its .50 callibre machine guns, Wilson said.

The Taupō will be berthed at Port Nikau, off Dawson St, from Thursday to Monday with the open day running on Saturday from 9am to 2pm.