Shipping Vessel Charged with Oil Dumping

Managing Director Eric Barratt said Sanford is conducting its own internal investigation

Maritime New Zealand (MNZ), the nation's marine authority, says it has charged New Zealand fishing company Sanford Limited (Sanford) in the alleged illegal dumping of oil into the sea of New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone.

The three charges, related to the operation of fishing vessel Pacinui, under charter to Sanford, are illegal discharge of a harmful substance - oil, failure to notify MNZ of the discharge, and failure to notify a pollution incident.

The discharge of a harmful substance charge has a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment or a NZ$200,000 ($157,000) fine, while the other charges each carry a maximum fine of NZ$100,000 ($78,500) and an additional fine of up to NZ$20,000 ($15,700) per day for a continuing offense.

Sanford Managing Director Eric Barratt said in a company statement that Sanford is conducting its own internal investigation into claims that machinery for separating ship-board waste was not used correctly.

He said the charges relate to "an alleged failure to use the equipment on one day in January 2013."

Barratt said the Pacinui is owned by Juahm Industries and that the company understands the claims were made by former Indonesian crew members of the ship.

Fourteen Indonesian members of the Pacinui crew jumped ship in February and said they had been mistreated on the boat, local newspaper the Timaru Herald reported at the time.

Barratt disputed the charges and said the company was working with the ship owners and New Zealand authorities to find a resolution.

The oil-dumping case is due to be called in the Timaru District Court on August 26.