A skipper has been fined after his fishing vessel collided into a 266-metre-long container ship off the Bay of Plenty coast.
The 19.5-metre-long vessel collided with the Kota Lembah container ship in July 2021.
Skipper Mike Te Pou was on board with two crew members and an MPI observer at around 3.15am when he saw the Kota Lembah on his radar.
The crew were setting out longlines for fishing and Te Pou decided to help them, despite seeing the container ship on his radar.
Investigations Manager Pete Dwen said: "He remained away from the wheelhouse for 40 minutes. Didn’t check on the location of the Kota Lembah and at 3.55am; the two vessels collided.
"This was a collision a long way off the coast of New Zealand, and was completely avoidable."
He said while no one was injured, it had the potential to be serious and multiple people could have been thrown into the water.
"We have prosecuted numerous cases this year for watchkeeping failures, and it is frustrating we are continuing to see these incidents arise.
"Vessels should always ensure someone is always on watch in that role," Dwen said.
Kota Lembah crew have also acknowledged their part in the incident, saying they failed to give way and didn't alter their course to avoid a collision.
Te Pou was ordered to pay $1625 in Tauranga District Court for operating a ship "in a manner which caused unnecessary danger or risk to any other person or to any property".
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