A 36-year-old South Korean-flagged charter fishing boat caused a legal flurry after it upped-anchor near Lyttelton and headed toward international waters yesterday despite a High Court arrest warrant.
The Korean officers of Oyang 77 say they were taking their rubbish out to dump in the Pacific beyond the 12 mile (22 kilometre) territorial limit.
But it seems the Koreans had a change of heart when they realised they were heading straight toward a Royal New Zealand Navy ship.
Oyang 77 is under arrest in a civil dispute with Nelson’s Talley’s Fishing following an incident near the Auckland Islands, in which it hit and damaged the trawling gear of the Amaltal Explorer.
Last week the Ministry of Agriculture refused Oyang 77 a licence to fish “because of concerns about this vessel’s ability to comply with New Zealand fisheries regulations”.
It is a sister ship to Oyang 70, which sank off Otago two years ago killing six, and of Oyang 75, whose crew walked off in protest at claimed inhumane conditions aboard.
All are chartered by Christchurch’s Southern Storm Fishing (2007) Ltd, a shell company holding the interests of Korea’s Sajo Oyang Corporation.
TVNZ.co.nz