The Nelson-based fishing company, Sealord, was fined $10,000 in the Nelson District Court after having previously admitted making a false or misleading statement in an amended monthly harvest return in March 2006. Sealord was charged for dumping 80 to 311 tonnes of southern blue whiting overboard from the factory trawler Aorere.
The captain of the boat Lee Harding, had previously been fined $45,000 for being a party to fish dumping and falsifying records as a result of the incident. Judge John Walker said Sealord became aware of a video showing possible dumping in the course of an employment dispute. The footage was been shot by the employee involved in the dispute.
After inspecting the footage Sealord determined it showed some quota fish was being lost overboard. The company calculated a worst-case scenario of 23,000kg of fish had accidentally been lost, and filed an amended monthly harvest return along those lines. Sealord has admitted that the return was incorrect as the loss was not accidental.
Commenting on the case prosecutor Tim MacKenzie said Sealord’s size and standing in the seafood industry meant it should have investigated the matter more thoroughly.
