An Indonesian fisherman who died on a foreign trawler in New Zealand waters was killed as the net was being brought in.
Police and the Government's maritime safety agency met the Korean-owned fishing vessel GOM379 when it docked in Bluff about 3pm on Tuesday, to begin investigating the death.
The man, who has not been named, died on Monday while the ship was trawling in the Southern Ocean near the Auckland Islands.
The ship is operated by Northland Deepwater Limited Partnership, half-owned by the iwi Ngapuhi.
Maritime New Zealand said it was told the man died in an accident as the trawl net was being raised.
It said it was investigating the incident but was limited in its powers because it was a foreign crew operating on a foreign ship not subject to New Zealand's health and safety laws.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Bowman said the vessel was within New Zealand waters when the man died.
The GOM 379 Photo: MARINETRAFFIC