A $20 million vessel forfeited to the Government for a breach of fishing rules could be returned to the offending company for a fee worth a fraction of its value. Seafood company Sanford Limited has pleaded guilty to trawling in a protected fishing area off the coast of Stewart Island. 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? Last year, Sealord forfeited a $21 million fishing vessel for a similar offence to the Sanford case. Gargiulo said the offence was caused by a human error that meant the vessel’s charts did not show the protected area.

Source: Stuff February 23, 2021 01:04 UTC