Sanford Limited has been fined by the Christchurch District Court after one of its trawlers trawled in a protected fishing area off the coast of Stewart Island. (File photo)Seafood company Sanford Limited has lost a $20 million fishing vessel after it admitted trawling in a protected fishing area off the coast of Stewart Island. In February, Sanford pleaded guilty to trawling in a lower buffer zone of a benthic protected area (BPA). READ MORE:* Seafood firm could lose $20m vessel after trawling in protected area* Trawl gear damages fragile coral reefs, so why is the Government sanctioning more hauls? The fishing reporting system on board captured the vessel trawling on the seabed for more than three hours during this time.

Source: Stuff February 23, 2021 01:04 UTC