A Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) report states that a skipper, one of two men to die in a Bay of Plenty fishing boat accident in 2008, may have been influenced by commercial pressure when he anchored in unsafe conditions. in an another incident Sanford’s boat San Cuvier ran aground on rocks near Opotiki after dragging anchor during severe weather in the early hours of July 27, 2008.
In this accident both the skipper Rick Josephs, 38, and crewman Damien Wyatt, 35, died when the crew abandoned the ship. A TAIC report released today found that Josephs’ chosen anchorage in Awaawakino was not suitable for the conditions.
The report also found that Josephs’ decision to fish in the Bay of Plenty in the marginal weather might have been influenced by the fishing company’s remuneration system, in which the salary was directly proportional to the amount of fish caught. It is mentioned that this system places commercial pressure on skippers and crew to push the limits, commercial pressure from which Sanford stands to gain as well.
The TAIC said the pay system could potentially create a serious safety issue and recommended it be addressed by operators with guidance from Maritime New Zealand. The TAIC recommended a review of New Zealand and international maritime databases to grasp of how big a problem it was.
