A skipper has been fined $2400 for his failure to keep watch when two fishing vessels collided off the Taranaki coast last year.
The incident happened between the Norman McLeod and the Lady Jane at 6.30am on January 21.
The statement said that at the time, visibility was limited to about 2.4km due to fog in the area.
As well as skipper Cory Stone, the Norman McLeod had two crew on board. The Lady Jane only had skipper Christopher Richards on board.
Stone admitted a Maritime Transport Act charge this week and was fined $2400.
Richards was fined in August after admitting four beaches of the Maritime Transport Act.
Maritime NZ said neither vessel had anyone in the wheelhouse at the time of the collision and both were travelling at about six knots.
Manager Central Scott Bernie said there were around 20 to 30 vessels within three nautical miles of the two vessels at the time.
"Leaving the wheelhouse with that many vessels around without assessing the risk of collision, was a high risk decision," he said.
"With the number of vessels in the area, maintaining a proper look-out should have been the top priority of both skippers to avoid potential collisions," he said.
Bernie said Maritime NZ has prosecuted several skippers this year for watch keeping failings, and watch keeping needs to be a priority.
"As well as being a legal requirement, it is a very simple way to avoid collisions and accidents involving natural hazards. As the Judge said in Richards’ sentencing, the incident was entirely avoidable."
The Lady Jane sustained damage to the bow which required emergency repairs, while the Norman McLeod suffered cosmetic damage. Nobody was injured.
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