One of New Zealand's biggest fishing companies, Sanford Limited, could be fined $4.4 million for discharging oily bilge water into the Pacific. The company faces seven charges under US law including pollution, conspiracy and obstruction of justice. The vessel involved is a tuna boat, the San Nikunau, which was detained in American Samoa earlier this year. When three Tokelauan teenagers were lost at sea for fifty days it was the San Nikunau that saved them - the story went global.
But this time the vessel that catches skipjack tuna in the Pacific has hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. The San Nikunau was detained in American Samoa in July and now faces a seven-count indictment for pollution, conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Auckland-based Sanford is accused of routinely discharging oily bilge waste into the ocean for at least the last four years, not keeping an accurate oil record book, presenting false documents, and deceiving the us coast guard during inspection.
The company's managing director Eric Barratt plans to defend all charges. "Sanford is very respectful of the need to look after the oceans and its resources, and Sanford would never allow the discharge of oil into the ocean," says Mr Barratt.
He claims the three crew who were interviewed lied to authorities. If found guilty Sanford faces a maximum fine of US$3.5 million and have to forfeit $24 million in what the attorney-general's office claims are the proceeds of its criminal conduct. It's been a bad week for the company, forced to close its oyster processing plant in Kaeo because of a virus that wiped out most of its Northland farms. The indictment has not been officially served but Mr Barratt expects it and to have to face an American court soon.