A crew member working for a Korean fishing outfit went overboard earlier this week in a tragic fatality for New Zealand’s industrial fishing business.
New Zealand Police and Maritime New Zealand responded to a name on Wednesday morning that an individual had fallen overboard from a fishing vessel 40 nautical miles Southeast of the Catlins.
The vessel recovered the physique, however the person was confirmed lifeless when a rescue helicopter arrived.
In a police assertion, the deceased remained on the boat till it was capable of dock at Dunedin round 10pm Wednesday.
Newsroom understands the vessel was the Happinui, operated by Timaru-based, Korean-owned fishing agency Jaico.
Port Otago departures present the Happinui arrived at port at 10.29pm on Wednesday.
It had left within the afternoon a day earlier than. Vessel trackers confirmed it motoring round in circles off the Catlins coast earlier than heading again to port.
It’s unclear if the vessel was actively fishing on the time of the incident.
Jaico has a fleet of three fishing boats and operates in partnership with NZX-listed Sanford.
Based on Sanford’s web site these partnership vessels vary in measurement from 55m to 59m lengthy. They usually have a crew of 40 and keep out at sea for as much as 35 days concentrating on arrow squid, barracouda and different species.
Chatting with Newsroom on Thursday afternoon, Sanford chief government David Mair stated he wasn’t conscious of the demise.
“If it’s a fatality then clearly that’s horrible. Nobody on this enterprise desires to have individuals die.”
He says Sanford has no function in well being and security for fishing companions’ boats, however that he is aware of they take well being and security very critically.
Newsroom was unable to get involved with Jaico, who took possession of the Happinui very not too long ago.
The vessel was owned by Tekapo Restricted, (a three way partnership between a Tokyo Inventory trade listed agency and a Nelson primarily based fishing outfit) till final yr.
A 2023 doc to the Tokyo inventory trade searching for alternative of the vessel, then referred to as the Tomi Maru No. 87, laid out its poor situation.
“The Tomi Maru was constructed 36 years in the past, and lately, deterioration in operation and productiveness has been seen resulting from ageing,” it learn.
Jaico purchased the vessel for US$6 million (NZ$7m) final yr.
Newsroom understands Jaico subsequently refitted the boat.
A publish on the ‘Ship Spotters New Zealand’ Fb web page dated November 2025 confirmed the vessel on a slipway at Heron Ship restore in Whangārei.
It appeared to be in considerably higher form than in earlier photographs of the boat.
It arrived in Dunedin for the primary time in December, and Newsroom understands this was its first time fishing below Jaico.
The matter is being investigated by police on behalf of the coroner.
New Zealand’s industrial fishing sector has traditionally had a poor monitor report for fatalities and office accidents.
Working with heavy equipment in difficult situations has an inherent threat.
Within the 2000s the fishing business had the very best demise and damage price of any New Zealand sector, with ACC figures putting 7.39 % of the workforce killed or injured.
Between 2001 and 2011, there have been 33 fatalities within the industrial fishing sector.
A concerted effort has been made to scale back incidents lately.
Based on Worksafe, there have been 13 fatalities between December 2011 and December 2024.
