Scottish Skipper Found Guilty of Assault

A Scottish fishing industry skipper has been found guilty of assault and racially-aggravated harassment of five non-European crew members over a period of six years at Peterhead Sheriff’s Court.

The Press and Journal reports that Gordon Hadden admitted racially harassing Jasen Gicale, Jason Gorgonia Gulane, Jay Suycano, Rolan Gulane Barte and Noly Frejoles on board the Serenity on various occasions between August 2013 and August 2019. The 59-year-old also admitted striking Gicale, placing him in a headlock and pushing him against the railings of the ship on July 30 last year.

Hadden, of Kirkton Road, Fraserburgh, was fined £2,000 for the harassment charges and a further £1,000 for the assault when the case was called at Peterhead Sheriff Court earlier this month.

The U.K.-based charity Human Rights at Sea says it understands that there were three further charges of assault proffered, but that they were not taken further. The charity is now seeking clarity as to why alleged more serious assault charges were apparently dropped and has submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Scottish authorities requesting access to public court records.

Human Rights at Sea is also in contact with both the Scottish White Fish Producers Association and the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation to discuss the case to understand what is being done internally in the respective organizations to address the issue of human rights abuses in the sector, and address the behavior of the prosecuted skipper. Both organizations are engaged with the charity and The Fishermen’s Mission in the ongoing “UK Fisheries Human Rights and Social Welfare Baseline Assessment Project 2020.”