‘Iron fist’ regime on boat cited

Five South Korean officers from the Oyang 75 had ruled the trawler ‘‘with an iron fist’’, a judge says.

Christchurch District Court Judge David Saunders convicted the five officers on fisheries charges and remanded them for sentence in September.

The officers are overseas and have not returned to New Zealand for the fisheries prosecution, which alleged they misreported the vessel’s catch and dumped quota fish at sea so they could catch more valuable fish.

The judge found all the charges proved yesterday and set a sentencing date of September 21.

Once the penalty is decided, the owner, the Sajo Oyang Corporation, will be allowed to argue for relief from forfeiture of the 68-metre stern trawler valued up to $10 million. It was forfeited to the Crown yesterday.

Fisheries prosecutor Grant Fletcher said: ‘‘We will now contact Sajo Oyang and advise them that the vessel is now Crown property.

‘‘Steps will be taken for the vessel to return to New Zealand, or a payment in cash in lieu of the vessel’s physical presence in New Zealand.’’

The master of the boat, Chong Pil Yun, 41, was charged with aiding the dumping of fish, making false or misleading statements and hindering a fisheries observer.

Deck bosun Wongeun Kang, 42, was charged with aiding the dumpings. Radio operator Juncheol Lee, 36, and chief officer Minsu Park, 41, were charged with aiding the dumpings and making false statements.

Tae Won Jo, 51, the factory manager, was charged with aiding the dumpings.

Judge Saunders said: ‘‘I am satisfied that the Koreans did not accord the crew any acceptable dignity . . .’’

Physical and verbal abuse was described by the crew, and was also recorded by a fisheries observer.

‘‘. . . it is perhaps understandable why the court has not had the benefit of seeing or hearing from the defendants and can reasonably infer that the defendants were not prepared to be held accountable for their behaviour,’’ the judge said.

‘‘The unchallenged evidence effectively leaves the court with the distinct impression that the Korean officers ruled the crew with an iron first and were engaged in practices which, by any measure, would not, and should not, be tolerated in any civilised work environment.’’

The hearing was told of crewmen being physically assaulted, having fish thrown at them, being yelled at and locked in the fish storage area. They walked off the vessel at Lyttelton, citing mistreatment, long hours and pay issues. The judge found that the vessel, on its two fishing trips off the South Island, had dumped 405 tonnes of quota management fish so more valuable fish could then be caught in its place.