The master and chief officer of a Lauritzen Bulkers ship have been fined for giving false information after crewman passed out in a hold during discharge operations.

On Thursday, Captain Walter Damian and chief officer Ian Dalingding pleaded guilty to providing false information to New Zealand authorities.

Damian also pleaded guilty to permitting dangerous activity. Damian was fined NZD 13,500 ($8,500), while Dalingding was hit with a NZD 4,050 fine.

A "reparation payment" of NZD 10,000 for emotional harm has been awarded to the victim.

The incident took place aboard the Isle of Man-flagged 32,691-dwt Emilie Bulker (built 2010) on 6 September 2019 at the Port of Tauranga in New Zealand.

The unnamed crewman had been working in a hold containing palm kernel, which is known to deplete oxygen in the air.

Fire and Emergency NZ rescued the unconscious man from the ship’s cargo-hold and he was taken to the Tauranga Hospital and placed in an induced coma. He was discharged from hospital four days later.

A Maritime NZ investigation found that the captain and chief officer gave false information claiming that assessment and gas tests of the cargo-hold had been done, and the hold was safe to work in. None of that was true.

“Oxygen depletion and gas build up in ships’ holds is an internationally known risk and a major concern for Maritime NZ,” the regulator said.

“Maritime NZ takes all steps to ensure the safety of maritime operations in New Zealand, including aboard foreign ships in our waters, in accordance with international law,” Maritime NZ’s central region compliance manager, Michael-Paul Abbott said.

“As well as taking the prosecution, we have shared information about the incident and this ship with other Asia-Pacific countries’ maritime authorities, and reported it to the Isle of Man registry.