Northern Coastal Fisheries owner Daniel Schoolmeester granted bail over slavery allegations

A Humpty Doo fisherman who allegedly held his workers captive and threatened to throw them into croc-infested waters has won his own freedom in a contested bail bid.

A Humpty Doo fisherman who allegedly held workers against their will and threatened to throw them into croc-infested waters had won his freedom in a bail bid.

Northern Coastal Fisheries owner Daniel Schoolmeester appeared in Darwin Local Court on Friday charged with causing a person to remain in forced labour, servitude and deceptive recruiting for labour.

The 47-year-old was arrested off his fishing vessel on the Arafura Sea last Wednesday, after a distress call to the Australian Federal Police. 

It is alleged that on December 19 a man jumped off the boat into crocodile-infested waters to escape the forced servitude.

Northern Coastal Fisheries owner Daniel Schoolmeester appeared in Darwin Local Court on Friday.

Police allege when officers reached the fishing boat, workers said they were held with only minimal food and water, made to work extensive hours with little sleep and were subjecting them to cruel and degrading treatment.

Police will also allege Schoolmeester recruited his workers via deceptive online advertisements on Gumtree looking for deckhands and coxswains.

AFP Officers have charged a Darwin region man with allegedly recruiting crew to work on his fishing boat through deceptive online advertisements and holding them against their will.

It is alleged the 47-year-old then held them against their will, with the fishing boat owner accused of making them work without pay, mistreated and threatened them, and denied them the chance to leave the boat.

Schoolmeester has not entered a plea at this time.

On Friday, Prosecutor Annabelle Bridgland said while the anti-slavery investigation currently centred around four workers, an ongoing investigation was looking at 20 years of potential offending with nine other suspected victims.

Ms Bridgland said bail was opposed, the crown was concerned that if the commercial fisherman was allowed to return to his job he would go on to exploit more workers or use a vessel to escape the law.

AFP Officers have charged a Darwin region man with allegedly recruiting crew to work on his fishing boat through deceptive online advertisements and holding them against their will.

However defence lawyer Brooke Houen there were “clearly two different stories” in relation to the slavery allegations, saying that the workers had their own Australian Business Number — however Judge Tanya Fong Lim questioned the relevance of this evidence.

AFP Officers have charged a Darwin region man with allegedly recruiting crew to work on his fishing boat through deceptive online advertisements and holding them against their will.

She suggested that Schoolmeester’s bail include a condition that he could only employ his family members for his fishing business, but Ms Fong Lim interrupted her.

“He’s is not getting on any vessel,” Ms Fong Lim said.

Ms Houen said the long-term fisherman would likely be able to get employment for onshore work at Darwin Harbour.

Daniel Schoolmeester and his wife Maria who said she was prepared to pay $10,000 to secure his bail.

His mother and wife told Ms Fong Lim that they were prepared to pay $10,000 to secure his bail.

Ms Fong Lim warned the women that any breaches would mean they would “be losing that money”.

“If Mr Schoolmeester decides to leave the jurisdiction, it costs a lot of money to get somebody back, “ she said.

She set a strict bail which barred him from getting on any vessel and from leaving the Territory, set an 8pm curfew, and made him wear an electronic monitoring device and check in with police and parole officers.

He was also barred from contacting any witnesses, including his alleged victims.

Ms Houen said given the seriousness of the charges and court delays, her client would likely only face the Supreme Court by early 2025.