26 Sep 2014

Iwi has faith in seafood company

8:47 am on 26 September 2014

The chairman of Ngati Kahungunu says he trusts that Hawke's Bay Seafood has been acting legally and that it has not been fishing more than its quota.

The fishing company is being investigated after inspectors raided sites in Napier, Wellington, Tauranga, Gisborne, the Chatham Islands and Christchurch earlier this week looking for documents which might prove that suspected illegal fishing has taken place.

Hawke's Bay Seafoods purchases the tribe's fishing quota each year and employs staff from Ngati Kahungunu.

Iwi chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana admits he is not totally sure if there has been any illegal fishing, but he is prepared to give the company the benefit of the doubt.

Mr Tomoana said the tribe trusts Hawke's Bay Seafoods as a business partner, as it has assured him it supports sustainable fishing and it has proved this by reseeding paua beds and conserving eel stocks.

However, he said if the allegations are true, the iwi will be concerned.

Mr Tomoana said to the best of his knowledge, nothing untoward has been proven.