Prosecution matters
statements. Marcus D’Esposito and Joe D’Esposito pleaded to 38 charges each. The permit holder Esplanade No 3 (the former Harbour City Seafoods) pleaded to 22, Hawke’s Bay Seafoods pleaded to 15, the fish receiver Ocean Enterprises pleaded to eight and Nino D’Esposito pleaded to nine.
The ministry regarded Marcus D’Esposito as the most culpable as he played such an integral part in the misreporting. Joe D’Esposito had control of financial affairs and should have known about the misreporting. He was less culpable than Marcus, but more culpable than his brother Nino, who the ministry said had failed to take all reasonable steps to stop the offending.
Butler and the 22.5-metre Mutiara III were involved in five of the 20 offences. The other offending involved the 30m Pacific Explorer, the 16m Lady Ruth and the 16m Trial B.
Butler pleaded guilty and was convicted and fined $25,000 in May 2015.
Over the past 10 years, the various D’Esposito companies have been convicted for a number of matters, including the
Tomoana declined to comment on the case last year, when asked for his thoughts on the convictions and what the iwi’s ongoing relationship with the company would be.
In 2017 the iwi announced it was entering a joint venture with the Tainui iwi and had paid $3.5m for the 34m Glomjford boat, which it bought in Norway, with the intention of fishing its own quota.
But the ties between the iwi and HBS continue in the company Pania Reef Fisheries (GP) Ltd, formed in late 2016, a partnership between HBS Tuna Ltd and the Nga¯ ti Kahungunu Asset Holding Company, with directors from the boards of both companies.
The rules around sustainability of fish stocks are complex and involve no end of acronyms and processes. They’re enough to make most people’s eyes glaze over.
But simply put, the whole thing is very reliant on trust. Trust that those catching the fish stick to the limits, informed by science, that allow the various breeds to continue to flourish so we can all eat (and catch) the fish we like.