No prosection over sinking

Prosecution has been considered unnecessary in the case of fishing boat that sunk of Stewart Island on August the 16th 2001.

 The Whitesands foundered in Chew Tobacco Bay when its main engine shut down. Heavy seas then swamped the deck, this tipped over tubs of fish that blocked the scuppers, sealing the water in the boat.

 The captain issued a mayday call around 12.51 soon after the Whitesands listed and sank.

 The Whitesands had been refused entry as a fishing ship by two Safe Ship Management (SSM) companies in June 2001. Later it was accepted as a “work boat” and issued with an SSM certificate. Unknown to SSM the boat was then registered as a fishing ship.

 A report into the sinking states "It is reasonable to conclude that in order to gain entry into the SSM, the owner changed the story he told the third SSM company, even though the original intention of duties that the ship would perform had not changed."

 The Whitesands did have an auxiliary motor but this was fitted to a smaller vessel in tow at the time of the incident. The report mentioned this may have prevented the sinking if used at the time.  

 It was considered there was nothing to be gained from prosecuting but the report made two recommendations: That SSM companies gain a precise understanding of the operation a ship will be put into before issuing a certificate. That the Maritime Safety Authority considers giving access to its database to SSM companies so they can obtain the complete history of a ship.