Hawke's Bay fishing company and directors back before court to be convicted

Thursday, 21 June 2018

Convictions have finally been entered against Hawke's Bay Seafoods and its directors after years of investigation and court hearings.

The companies charged were Hawke's Bay Seafoods, Ocean Enterprises and Esplanade No 3. The directors and managers were Antonino 'Nino' Giovanni D'Esposito, Giancarlo 'Joe' Harold D'Esposito and manager Marcus Giuseppe D'Esposito and a skipper John Butler.

On Thursday Wellington District Court judge Bill Hastings entered convictions on 85 charges against Antonino, Giancarlo and Marcus D'Esposito, 22 charges against Esplanade, 8 against Ocean and 15 against Hawke's Bay Seafoods of making false statements and the sale of unreported fish.

The judge set a sentencing hearing date in August.

**READ MORE:

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* Bluenose at the centre of massive trial**

The Ministry for Primary Industries began Operation Marquise into exports of bluenose to Australia.

The charges relate to landings of fish to NZ and their export to Australia between Nov 2012 and July 2014 where the amounts of bluenose was under-reported before export.

In a summary of facts now before the court the Ministry said the misreporting became evident when a comparison of the amounts of fish reported as caught and landed were compared with the recorded amounts exported.

Hawke's Bay Seafoods operates 14 vessels under a single fishing permit - they land fish and are operated by skippers contracted by HBS.

Four of the ships used by the company are to be considered for forfeiture, the Mutiara II, The Pacific Explorer, the Trial B and the Lady Ruth.  A decision is to be made at sentencing.

The agreed total unreported amount of Bluenose was 27 tonnes unprocessed.

The summary says the value of the bluenose misreported and sold is calculated at $253,404.62.

The charges initially went to hearing last year and lasted for seven months before guilty pleas were entered in December.