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Trawler officer facing charges has been killed
Fisheries authorities have been told a 42-year-old officer on the Oyang 77 facing fisheries breaches has been killed in a car crash in China.
The Ministry of Primary Industries is going ahead anyway with the prosecution against Soon Ill Hwang, the factory manager, as well as the captain of the vessel 39-year-old Dae Jun Lee.
Lee indicated through defence counsel at the Christchurch District Court session at the Nga Hau e Wha marae today that he would deny the charges. He did not appear at court because he is in Korea.
Prosecutor Grant Fletcher said there was no appearance by Hwang and he had been advised by the corporation involved that he had died in a crash. This has not yet been confirmed.
The case was remanded to November 8 when the ministry is likely to seek an order for the evidence to be taken from the Indonesian crew members and from fisheries observers.
Fletcher said the evidence would be the same against both men, and the ministry would go ahead with a formal proof hearing against Hwang.
Hwang faces charges of dumping barracouta, hoki, ling, and squid at sea. These species are subject to fisheries quota management.
Lee denies nine charges: failing to report the incidental catching of two basking sharks, failing to report the catching of squid, dumping squid, hoki, barracouta, and ling at sea, and making false fisheries returns relating to hoki, hake, and silver warehou.
