By 3 News online staff
The managing director of Sanford has just returned from the United States.
Sanford, one of New Zealand's biggest fishing companies, has been accused of dumping oily waste into the water in American Samoa, then trying to cover it up.
Managing director Eric Barratt denied any wrongdoing - but now says the decision highlights the need to properly maintain ship records.
“The jury did not find that we dumped any oily waste in any water,” he clarified to Firstline this morning, “It found us guilty of pollution charges. Those charges related to recording in the oil record book transfers between machinery spaces on-board the vessel. There was no jury decision that we polluted the ocean.”
Mr Barratt says Sanford has contacted all its ships and ordered them to tighten up their actions.
“I think this is a wake-up call for all of the vessels that act in that area.”
3 News