Blitz on fishing ships off South Island coast

File photo / Thinkstock

Two commercial fishing ships have been sent back to port for breaching regulations after inspectors boarded 16 vessels off the South Island coast.

The operation comes after a series of serious fishing vessel incidents in recent years, including the fatal sinking of two Korean-flagged ships, which sparked a ministerial inquiry into the commercial fishing industry.

Operation Moana was run as a joint operation between Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

Inspectors boarded 16 vessels to ensure they met environmental protection regulations, had the proper certification and life-saving appliances, and had correct emergency preparedness plans and working practices.

Two Korean-flagged foreign charter fishing vessels -- Gom 379 and Ser Este 700 -- were sent back to port for failing to comply with marine protection rules.

The vessels were required to correct deficiencies in their oily water systems and undergo full inspections before returning to sea. Gom 379 remains under investigation by MNZ.

The NZDF provided a ship and a plane -- the HMNZS Wellington and an RNZAF Orion -- to enable MNZ to target vessels while they were operating at sea.

MNZ southern regional compliance manager David Billington said the rationale for the operation was that being on board a ship at sea was the best way to get a true picture of how it operated.

"It's really good to see the vessel when it's actually working ? problems are a lot more visible than when it's tied up. And when a vessel is on the water, you get to see the practices in action, which is when any issues will come to light."

Mr Billington said New Zealand vessels in particular were observed to have good oil pollution prevention and garbage management practices.

"Our team observed that they often took the extra step to ensure they were not only meeting requirements but exceeding them."

Mr Billington said the campaign had been a success overall.

"From an industry point of view, I think most operators would be really glad to know that we are holding operators to account ? as the vast majority of operators absolutely want to do the right thing."

He said MNZ would look at conducting similar campaigns in the future.

******

Fishing vessel incidents:

- August 18, 2010: Korean-registered trawler Oyang 70 sank in calm conditions 740km southeast of Dunedin, killing three fishermen. A coroner found the captain did not ensure emergency procedures were understood by his crew, and did not carry out any form of abandon ship training.

- December 13, 2010: The Korean fishing boat Insung 1 sank in the Southern Ocean off Campbell Island, killing 22 sailors. A coroner found the ship owner failed to provide adequate safety instruction and training for crew members on board.