New Zealand fishing company Sanford has been fined $2.27 million for dumping oil waste from its Tuna fishing vessel, the San Nikunau, in US waters off American Samoa.
The company was sentenced in a US Federal Court in Washington this morning after they were convicted in August last year.
The court has also ordered Sanford to pay a further Community Service Payment of US $500,000 to the National Fisheries Foundation and a probationary period of three years has been set in which its vessels can't enter US ports.
Sanford Managing Director Eric Barratt says they're pleased the court issue is now behind them and they will now concentrate their efforts on improving overall environmental compliance.
The US Government was hopeful for a fine of US $3.5 million.
