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About

Sealord Group

  1. Business / Trading Name: Sealord Group Limited (commonly known as “Sealord”)

  1. Company Number: 168963

  1. NZBN: 9429040180434

  1. Entity Type: New Zealand Limited Company (Privately held)

  1. Business Classification: Commercial deep-sea fishing, seafood processing and marketing (integrated seafood enterprise)

  1. Industry Category: Fisheries / Seafood Industry (primary sector – wild-catch fishing & aquaculture)

  1. Year Founded: 1961 (incorporated 24 October 1961)

  1. Addresses: Registered Office – 149 Vickerman Street, Port Nelson, Nelson 7010, New Zealand (PO Box 11, Nelson). Auckland Office – Level 9, Building 5, 666 Great South Road, Penrose, Auckland 1051, New Zealand.

  1. Website URL: www.sealord.com

  1. LinkedIn URL: linkedin.com/company/sealord-group-ltd

  1. Company Hub NZ URL: https://www.companyhub.nz/companyDetails.cfm?nzbn=9429040180434CompanyHub listing shows Sealord Group Ltd as Registered, since 24 Oct 1961)

  1. NZ Companies Office URL: https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/168963 (NZ Companies Office record for Sealord Group)

  1. Social Media URLs: Facebook – facebook.com/SealordANZ (Sealord official page); Twitter (X) – twitter.com/SealordGroup (Sealord Group official account); Instagram – instagram.com/sealordanz (Sealord ANZ); YouTube – youtube.com/@sealordstory (Sealord channel).

  1. Ultimate Holding Company: Kura Limited (New Zealand company #1097137) – a 50/50 joint venture between Māori-owned Moana New Zealand (Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd) and Japanese seafood corporation Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui).

  1. Key Shareholders: Moana New Zealand (representing 57 iwi via Aotearoa Fisheries) – 50%, and Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Japan – 50% (ownership held through Kura Ltd).

  1. Leadership: Board Chair – Jamie Tuuta (appointed 1 April 2023, succeeding long-time chair Whaimutu Dewes); Chief Executive Officer – Doug Paulin (since 1 October 2020, replacing former CEO Steve Yung). Sealord’s board includes representatives of its owners (e.g. Glenn Hawkins of Moana NZ, Terutaka Kuraishi of Nissui) alongside independent directors (e.g. Rachel Taulelei).

  1. Staff: Approximately 1,100 employees globally, including over 1,000 in New Zealand and ~230 overseas. (Sealord prides itself on being a major employer in Nelson and across NZ’s fishing industry.)

  1. Staff That Have Held Previous Government Roles: Rachel Taulelei – former New Zealand Trade Commissioner in Los Angeles (NZ Trade & Enterprise); Jamie Tuuta – former Māori Trustee (head of the Māori Trustee agency, 2011–2018) and ex-chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana (Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission). (Both now leverage their public-sector experience in Sealord’s governance.)

  1. Past Employees: Steve Yung – Chief Executive Officer from 2014 until 2020 (oversaw expansion into aquaculture before stepping down). Whaimutu Dewes – long-serving Chairman (2010s–2023) who retired after decades in Māori fisheries leadership. (Sealord’s leadership pipeline has historically drawn from veteran industry figures and public-sector Māori leaders.)

  1. Clients: Not applicable – Sealord is a seafood harvesting and processing company, not a consultancy. Its customers are large seafood buyers and retailers globally. (For example, Sealord was a key supplier of fish to UK supermarket chain Waitrose via its former UK processing plant).

  1. Industries / Sectors Represented: Sealord principally represents the commercial fishing and seafood processing sector, including deepwater wild-capture fisheries and finfish aquaculture. It is a flagship company of New Zealand’s seafood industry (part of the broader primary industries sector).

  1. Publicly Disclosed Engagements: Sealord has participated in government consultations and programmes in its sector. Notably, the company engaged with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) on implementing on-board cameras for fishing vessels, openly supporting legislative changes to enable cameras (after initially opposing a flawed proposal). Sealord executives have provided input to fisheries policy reviews and offered “full support” to ministers and officials on workable sustainability measures. (Sealord’s submissions to government – e.g. on quota management and ocean policy – are typically not publicly released, occurring behind closed doors or via industry bodies.)

  1. Affiliations: Sealord is a core member of Seafood New Zealand, the fishing industry’s peak body, and is a major participant in the Deepwater Group Ltd, a quota owners’ collective co-managing NZ’s deep-sea fisheries. Through these bodies, Sealord aligns with industry-wide lobbying on fisheries policy. Sealord is also linked to Moana New Zealand (its Māori shareholder) and was historically connected to Te Ohu Kaimoana. It engages with business lobby groups (e.g. BusinessNZ) on issues affecting exporters and the primary sector, and its directors sit on government advisory boards (e.g. the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council).

  1. Sponsorships / Collaborations: Sealord has a public profile of community involvement in Nelson and across NZ. It sponsors local community events, charities and educational programmes, emphasizing corporate social responsibility. The company has collaborated with environmental researchers (funding ~$8 million per year into fisheries sustainability R&D) and has partnered with government in initiatives like Precision Seafood Harvesting (a public-private innovation programme). (Sealord highlights its community sponsorships and sustainable fishing collaborations in its PR, though specific sponsorship deals are not always transparently disclosed.)

  1. Events: Sealord has hosted and organized industry events, notably the launch of new fishing vessels. In November 2018 it held a formal ceremony in Nelson to launch its $70 million deep-sea trawler Tokatu – the largest addition to New Zealand’s fleet in decades. Sealord also participates in seafood trade shows and was involved in the industry’s annual conference (often via Seafood NZ). Internally, it holds stakeholder hui (meetings) with iwi shareholders. (Such events bolster Sealord’s image but are not always open to the general public.)

  1. Political Donations: No publicly disclosed political donations by Sealord Group or its direct owners appear in New Zealand’s electoral records. Neither Sealord nor its parent Kura Ltd have any recorded donations in official party returns. (This contrasts with some peers: e.g. rival Talley’s and its directors donated nearly $27,000 to the NZ First Foundation from 2017–2019, raising concerns of industry influence-buying.) Sealord’s influence tends to be exerted through lobbying and industry bodies rather than overt party financing.

  1. Controversies: Sealord has faced significant controversies over its environmental and labour practices:

  • Illegal Fishing: In 2018, Sealord’s trawler Ocean Dawn conducted banned bottom trawls in a protected area (Chatham Rise Benthic Protected Area). Sealord was convicted and fined, forced to forfeit the $16 million vessel (later redeemed at cost). The incident – five illegal trawls catching 40 tonnes of fish and 1.3 tonnes of coral/sponges – was attributed by Sealord to “unintentional” human error. Critics argued the penalties (a $24k fine) were trivial, and the case underscored weak oversight of deep-sea fishing.

  • Labour & Crew Practices: Sealord has been accused of bypassing New Zealand workers in favour of cheaper foreign crews. In 2020 it advertised jobs on two chartered Russian trawlers in such unappealing terms (“continuous repetitive work… six months at sea with no time off”) that unions blasted it as a sham effort to discourage local applicants. Sealord’s hiring of 115 foreign crew from Vietnam in 2023 (due to local labour shortages) also drew public criticism. These incidents suggest Sealord’s labor practices, while legal, have skirted the spirit of immigration and employment rules – creating reputational damage.

  • Health & Safety Breaches: In 2023, Sealord was convicted for exposing workers to asbestos aboard its 50-year-old vessel Will Watch. Maritime NZ found Sealord failed to properly assess and remove onboard asbestos, endangering crew. The company pleaded guilty and was fined ~NZ$300,000. Maritime authorities condemned Sealord for “failing its responsibility to keep workers safe” in this case.

  • Environmental Impact & Backlash: Sealord, as one of NZ’s largest deepwater fishing firms, is routinely targeted by environmental NGOs for destructive practices like bottom trawling. In 2022, facing pressure to protect undersea mountain ecosystems, Sealord proposed voluntarily closing 89% of seamounts to trawling. (This pre-emptive move – welcomed by some as progressive – was viewed by others as a strategic concession to stave off stricter regulation.) Greenpeace and others have linked industry influence (including Sealord’s) to political decisions delaying conservation measures (e.g. slow rollout of cameras on boats). Sealord’s sustainability claims are thus often met with skepticism by independent observers.
    (Overall, these controversies paint a picture of a company frequently pushing the boundaries of regulations – and occasionally overstepping – in pursuit of its commercial interests.)

  1. Other Information of Note (Media & Public Profile): Sealord occupies a unique place in New Zealand’s political-economic landscape. It was central to the historic “Sealord Deal” of 1992, a Treaty of Waitangi settlement that gifted Māori a 50% stake in the company (with Japanese interests buying the other half). This made Sealord a symbol of Māori economic development, often featured in media as a success story of Māori–Pākehā partnership in business. The company’s size and frequent acquisitions (e.g. its 2023 purchase of Independent Fisheries, making Sealord NZ’s largest seafood business) garner significant press. Sealord executives are regularly quoted in industry media defending the Quota Management System and resisting policy changes that might hurt profits. At the same time, investigative pieces and academic commentators (e.g. The Democracy Project) critique the opaque influence of companies like Sealord. They highlight that Sealord’s lobbying often occurs through industry groups with little transparency, and that its close ties with political actors (via boards and advisory councils) may escape formal disclosure. For instance, the fishing industry’s donations and behind-the-scenes lobbying during the 2017–2020 government (when NZ First held the fishing portfolio) were seen as yielding favourable outcomes for companies such as Sealord (e.g. slowing regulatory reforms). In public communications, Sealord projects a responsible corporate image – emphasizing sustainability initiatives, community support, and its Māori ownership. However, watchdog groups frequently challenge these claims, pointing to Sealord’s commercial imperatives vs. conservation goals as a recurring conflict.

  2. Recipient of Wage Subsidy Scheme: No. Sealord did not receive any COVID-19 wage subsidy from the New Zealand Government during the 2020 pandemic relief programme. The company publicly stated it was in a strong enough financial position to avoid needing the subsidy and in fact reported a profitable 2020 year without layoffs. (Sealord’s resilience during COVID, aided by high demand for frozen seafood, allowed it to sidestep the scrutiny other corporates faced over subsidy use.)

Sources:

[1] Company Extract: Sealord Group Limited, New Zealand Companies Office (via Commerce Commission), https://comcom.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/329071/01-Appendix-1-Para-2.1-Sealord-Group-Limited-Company-Extract.pdf
[2] Sealord – FishChoice Company Profile, FishChoice (sustainable seafood platform), https://fishchoice.com/business/sealord
[3] Contact Sealord – Get in Touch, Sealord Group (official website), https://www.sealord.com/contact-sealords-today-nz/
[4] Sealord Group Ltd – Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce Directory, Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce, https://www.commerce.org.nz/organisation/sealord-group-ltd
[5] Sealord owners reject Nissui rumours, IntraFish News, 10 July 2013, https://www.intrafish.com/news/sealord-owners-reject-nissui-rumours/1-1-638288 (excerpt via IntraFish)
[6] Sealord Group Limited – CompanyHub NZ Listing, CompanyHub.nz, https://www.companyhub.nz/company/registered/Sealord-Group-Limited (listing snippet with company number, NZBN, status)
[7] New Zealand Companies Register – Sealord Group Limited, NZ Companies Office, https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/coa/168963 (company record lookup page)
[8] Sealord (Nelson, New Zealand) – Facebook Page, Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/SealordANZ (social media page showing ~63k likes)
[9] SealordGroup on X (Twitter), Twitter (X Corp), https://twitter.com/SealordGroup (profile tagline: “Sealord delivers sustainable seafood…”)
[10] Sealord (@sealordanz) – Instagram, Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/sealordanz/ (official account with company bio)
[11] Sealord – YouTube Channel (@sealordstory), YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/@sealordstory (company’s official video channel)
[12] Sealord Group Ltd – Ultimate Holding Company: Kura Limited, NZ Companies Office extract, https://comcom.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/329071/01-Appendix-1-Sealord-Extract.pdf (shows “Ultimate holding company: KURA LIMITED”)
[13] Kura Ltd – 50/50 JV owners Aotearoa Fisheries & Nissui, IntraFish Media, https://www.intrafish.com/news/sealord-owners-reject-nissui-rumours/1-1-638288 (quote: “Kura Limited, a 50-50 joint venture between Māori company Aotearoa Fisheries and Nissui…”)
[14] Sealord to buy Independent Fisheries, become NZ’s biggest seafood business, Te Ao Māori News, 18 Sep 2023, https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2023/09/19/sealord-to-buy-independent-fisheries-become-new-zealands-biggest-seafood-business/ (ownership: “joint venture between Māori-owned Moana NZ and Nissui”)
[15] Professional Māori director Jamie Tuuta to chair Sealord Group, NZ Herald (Kahu section), 8 Feb 2023, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/professional-maori-director-jamie-tuuta-to-chair-sealord-group/ZGA5IKJC7VHOFF4A7UAQJ67KYI/ (notes Tuuta’s appointment as Sealord chair and predecessor)
[16] Doug Paulin takes over as CEO of Sealord Group, SeafoodSource News, 22 Oct 2019, https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/business-finance/new-ceo-doug-paulin-takes-over-as-ceo-of-sealord-group (announces Doug Paulin as CEO effective 1 Oct 2020, replacing Steve Yung)
[17] Sealord employs more than 1,000 people in NZ and 230 overseas, Sealord “About Us” page, Sealord.com (via Hihotest2 staging site), https://hihotest2.co.nz/sealord/home/sealord-learn-about-us-nz/ (company overview statement)
[18] Sealord – largest integrated seafood co. in Southern Hemisphere, 1100 employees, $775m assets, FishChoice profile, https://fishchoice.com/business/sealord (company facts: established 1961; owned 50% by Māori, 50% Nissui; top 60 NZ company; 1100 staff; assets NZ$775 m)
[19] Rachel Taulelei – formerly NZ Trade Commissioner in Los Angeles, Kea New Zealand profile, https://keanewzealand.com/kea_winners/rachel-taulelei-2/ (details Taulelei’s career including Trade Commissioner role)
[20] “Tuuta is a former chair of Te Ohu Kaimoana and a former Māori Trustee.”, NZ Herald – Wena Harawira, 8 Feb 2023, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/professional-maori-director-jamie-tuuta-to-chair-sealord-group/ZGA5IKJC7VHOFF4A7UAQJ67KYI/ (highlights Jamie Tuuta’s prior government roles)
[21] Steve Yung stepping down as Sealord CEO, SeafoodSource, 22 Oct 2019, https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/business-finance/new-ceo-doug-paulin-takes-over-as-ceo-of-sealord-group (notes former CEO Steve Yung leaving end of FY2020)
[22] Sealord supplies Waitrose via Caistor plant (UK), SeafoodSource News – Cliff White, 29 Mar 2017, https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/sealord-group-sells-caistor-plant-to-nippon-suisan (Sealord CEO quoted on supplying Waitrose supermarket in Britain)
[23] Sealord’s operations span deep-sea fishing and aquaculture, Sealord “Our Operations” summary, Sealord.com, https://hihotest2.co.nz/sealord/home/sealord-learn-about-us-nz/ (states “deep-sea fishing and finfish aquaculture operations”)
[24] Sealord supports government consultation on camera legislation, Sealord Newsroom release, 13 Feb 2019, https://www.sealord.com/newsroom/posts/sealord-supports-government-consultation/ (company outlines stance on cameras on vessels and engagement with Minister/MPI)
[25] Sealord contributes $8 million annually to sustainability R&D, FishChoice profile, https://fishchoice.com/business/sealord (notes Sealord’s contribution to research and development for sustainable fishing)
[26] Sealord’s community sponsorships & reputation, Sealord “Our Community” page, Sealord.com, https://hihotest2.co.nz/sealord/home/sealord-learn-about-us-nz/ (mentions Sealord’s longstanding support of community events and organisations)
[27] Sealord formally launches new $48m trawler Tokatu, Undercurrent News, 23 Nov 2018, https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2018/11/23/sealord-formally-launches-new-48m-trawler/ (reports on the official launch ceremony of FV Tokatu in Nelson)
[28] Sealord factory trawler Tokatu given official launch, Wikipedia (Sealord Group page reference), citing Seafood NZ, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sealord_Group#Tokatu (records November 2018 launch event in Nelson for Tokatu)
[29] Talley’s donations to NZ First & influence on policy, Greenpeace Aotearoa press release, 10 Nov 2023, https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/press-release/keep-nz-first-out-of-fishing-and-ocean-portfolios-urges-greenpeace/ (mentions Talley’s ~$27k donations and NZ First delaying cameras on boats)
[30] NZ First foundation took fishing industry donations, RNZ News – Podcast & Politics, 19 Feb 2020, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/410007/concerns-over-secret-fisheries-donations-to-nz-first-foundation (Talley’s and Peter Talley donated $26,950 in 2017–19 via foundation)
[31] Greenpeace: NZ First “pandering” to fishing industry after donations, Greenpeace press (via Scoop), 12 Feb 2020, https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2002/S00105/fishing-donations-create-conflict-of-interest-for-nz-first-greenpeace.htm (notes conflict of interest with NZ First slowing ocean protections after industry donations)
[32] Sealord convicted for illegal trawling, vessel forfeited, RNZ News, 24 Jul 2020, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/421967/sealord-forfeits-16m-vessel-over-chatham-rise-bottom-trawling (Nelson District Court ordered Sealord to forfeit $16 m vessel and pay fines for five illegal bottom trawls in a protected area)
[33] Sealord fined for exposing crew to asbestos, The Maritime Executive, 1 Jan 2024, https://maritime-executive.com/article/nz-fishing-company-fined-for-exposing-crewmembers-to-asbestos (Sealord pled guilty, fined ~US$196k for asbestos hazards on FV Will Watch)
[34] Sealord accused of deterring NZ workers to justify foreign crew, RNZ News – Conan Young, 13 Nov 2020, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/430515/sealord-faces-criticism-over-hiring-process-for-staff-on-trawlers (union says Sealord’s job ad was “half-hearted” and intended to fail local recruitment, preceding work permit approvals for overseas crew)
[35] Deepwater Group responds to Sealord’s seamount proposal, Deepwater Group (industry website), 22 Apr 2022, https://deepwatergroup.org/dwg-responds-to-sealords-proposal-to-set-aside-89-of-seamounts-for-conservation/ (Sealord proposed set-asides of EEZ seamounts; industry CEO comments on balanced approach)
[36] 1992 Sealord Deal gave Māori 50% stake in Sealord, Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (Te Ohu Kaimoana profile), 22 Jul 2022, https://theintegrityinstitute.substack.com/p/te-ohu-kaimoana-maori-fisheries-trust (observes the Sealord settlement providing Māori with half of Sealord Group Ltd)
[37] Sealord to surpass Sanford after Independent Fisheries acquisition, Te Ao Māori News, 18 Sep 2023, https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2023/09/19/sealord-to-buy-independent-fisheries-become-new-zealands-biggest-seafood-business/ (Sealord will become NZ’s biggest seafood business by quota tonnage and staff, per September 2023 coverage)
[38] Fishing industry influence via NZ First – Greenpeace, Greenpeace Aotearoa, 10 Nov 2023, https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/press-release/keep-nz-first-out-of-fishing-and-ocean-portfolios-urges-greenpeace/ (details previous government: NZ First received fishing donations, then slowed camera rollout and pushed to remove a Talley’s vessel from blacklist)
[39] Sealord didn’t seek Covid wage subsidy, no layoffs in 2020, RNZ News, 22 Dec 2020, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/433410/sealord-posts-29m-full-year-profit (Sealord’s CEO confirms no wage subsidy taken, profit still made during pandemic year)
[40] Sealord’s Argentine venture losses halted iwi dividends, Stuff.co.nz (via IntraFish), 9 May 2016, https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/79799329/nissui-looking-to-sell-out-of-sealord-after-rough-years (describes Sealord’s Yuken SA losses, no dividends to iwi, and Nissui’s rumoured exit)
[41] Sealord revenue and asset figures (FY2020), RNZ News, 22 Dec 2020, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/433410/sealord-posts-29m-full-year-profit (reports sales just shy of $400 m; net profit $29.3 m; prior year $32 m)
[42] Sealord assets NZ$775m (and top-60 company status), FishChoice, https://fishchoice.com/business/sealord (notes Sealord’s assets and ranking among NZ companies)

Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz

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