We wish.

Below is an extract from a story that appeared in a New Zealand media following evidence given by an observer aboard a Korean trawler operating in New Zealand waters off the South Island. The  N75 Oyang is in court accused of dumping nealry $1.3 million of fish over the course of two trips last year.


The evidence, was provided by independent observer Susannah Barham aboard the boat, who was appalled at the behaviour of the Korean master. As with many such fisheries observers the world over, she obviously hails from a  rather sheltered background with very different values and sensibilities!

"Barham's evidence told the court of seeing officers acting in an aggressive way towards crew members. She cited incidents of Kang giving crew "a quick smack across the head" or throwing fish at them. The factory manager and chief officer would yell at them in an angry and aggressive tone.

Crew would work for up to 10 hours to get processing completed when a trawl had been carried out, and there would be only a few hours' rest between trawls."

One can only imagine the reactions of all those deckys who used to work aboard the big sidewinders from Grimsby, Hull and Fleetwood being appalled at the thought of having a few harsh words or fish thrown at them by the skipper or mate, or worse still, having to work 10 hours without a break!!


Decky Learner - sung by Eddy Weeks who put the music to words from Stan Carter.

Enjoy this cameo of one trawlerman's life at sea on the big distant water trawlers.


Or even better, listen to this superb collection of recordings from some of the men who fished from Grimsby and Hull - "See, it's time Newlyn put an audio archive together like this" 


Quite right Billy.