Found CCTV footage from the Taiwanese-flagged fishing vessel WIN FAR 636 has renewed calls for answers into the investigation of the death of Kiribati national Eritara Aati Kaierua, a fisheries observer whose suspicious death at sea remains unresolved.
The video, released by Human Rights at Sea International (HRASi) on 11 November 2024, reveals scenes recorded approximately two hours after Kaierua’s official time of death, showing masked crew members carrying his body down a passageway on the vessel. The CCTV also captures Kaierua alive, eating alone in the mess hall and walking through the vessel in the hours before his death.
Notably, 24 hours passed between Kaierua’s last recorded appearance alive and the moment his body was moved—a significant time gap as Kaierua’s absence from duty went seemingly unnoticed during this period.
The video also includes Automatic Identification System (AIS) data and details from the official pathology report, adding to the body of evidence around the case. Importantly, AIS tracking confirms that Kaierua’s death occurred while the vessel was in international waters, placing the responsibility for the investigation on the vessel’s flag state, rather than Kaierua’s home country of Kiribati.
Despite the mounting evidence, Kiribati remains the only country to have formally opened an investigation into Kaierua’s death. The vessel’s flag state, who were contacted ahead of the footage’s public release, have yet to respond to calls for a formal inquiry from Human Rights at Sea International.
The release of this video is part of the ongoing Death at Sea justice campaign seeking workers’ compensation for the Kaierua family and international protections for fisheries observers. More details on the campaign can be found at deathatseafilm.com.
ENDS.
Source: HRAS International
Images: From CCTV Short
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