Hawke's Bay Seafoods says it plans to defend a bid to put it into liquidation

Nino D'Espito: Hawke's Bay Seafoods is not trading, but it's not going into liquidation. PHOTO/FILE

An application by a marine electronics company to put former fisheries giant Hawke's Bay Seafoods into liquidation will be opposed, although the company is no longer trading.

Managing director Nino D'Esposito said it's over a disputed debt, and added: "Hawke's Bay Seafoods is not going into liquidation. We are defending it."

The application has been lodged by Auckland-based Electronic Navigation Ltd, established in 1945 and said to be the largest marine electronics company in New Zealand.

A statement of claim filed in the High Court on October 31 outlines $40,800.46 debt claimed for marine electronics and services, related to installation of monitoring equipment on joint-venture vessel fishing vessel the Glomfjord, provided from December last year to May this year, and collections costs.

The plaintiff company says it is the outstanding amount after three part-payments of $2000 each, but the defendant had neglected to pay the remainder.

D'Esposito said while Hawke's Bay Seafoods is no longer trading, having sold the processing, exporting and retailing business to Ngati Kahungunu Holding Company, now running the Pandora-based operation as Takitimu Seafoods, it is not being wound-up.

"We've kept the name," he said.

He is acting as a consultant when needed but the application before the court does not affect Takitimu Seafoods in any way, he said.

In February Hawke's Bay Seafoods, two associated companies and directors were fined a combined total of over $1 million relating to breaches of fish catch regulations it had denied in lengthy court proceedings in Wellington.