Before we go into any depth of who is to blame, let alone if the claims hold any validity, can someone please put a logical reason why a government department (Primary Industries) would turn a blind eye to such a shocking breach of the rules? I ask because it is claimed so many people were supposedly 'in the know'?

Figures never lie but liars can always figure. There are lies ... damn lies ... and statistics, take your pick with this story. The details released so far carry a huge time span of many decades, amazing it has taken in excess of forty years to be made public.

This length of time is of concern because it implies the then Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries were also in the know and governments of all colours chose to ignore what after all, in the industry itself, was was supposed common knowledge.

Sorry to read your comment, Phil, did you think the same when Helen Clark was running the house? How come Peters never jumped on the band wagon? He has jumped on just about everything else, and Maori have a huge stake in the fish processing and export industry.