Sanford
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 10 sources
NZ seafood company farming mussels and salmon and fishing deepwater fish.
A deadly safety failure was documented in Sanford's supply chain in 2018, which it has only partly put right.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 4 of 7 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has a red flag for clear breaches of labour conditions. On Track needs no forced or child labour, clear labour breaches or failing independent ratings.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (deadly safety failure, last recorded in 2018) is more than 5 years old.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually unprotected.
Good requirements 4 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in New Zealand are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Not met: Respects worker rightsA confirmed problem counts against it: deadly safety failure, last recorded in 2018
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standardsPresumed from where it's made, not audited
- Met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneEarlier stages shown
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Traces its catch to the boat or farm and has crews' or farm workers' conditions checked independently
Red flags 1
- Red flag: Clear breaches of labour conditions
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Sanford says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: fishing fleets and processing plants have some of the worst documented forced labour, including trafficked crews held at sea for years.
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- Traces most of its fish and seafood to named fishing boats or farms
- It traces some of its catch or holds environmental labels such as MSC, ASC or BAP, but doesn't show both that its catch is traced to the boat or farm and that crews' or farm workers' conditions are checked independently.
Research notes Sanford catches fish on 13 named vessels of its own, which freeze at sea or land at Timaru and Bluff, farms King Salmon at Big Glory Bay and mussels in Marlborough, Tasman, Coromandel and Stewart Island, and processes mussels at Havelock; North Island mussels now go to an unnamed toll processor. Four contracted trawlers (via Dong Won NZ and JAICO) are not named. A 2012 review of its foreign charter crews found agents had withheld wages and documents; Sanford paid compensation. No independent crew checks or modern slavery statement found. Grounds: NZ waters and the Ross Sea.
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | A crewman on Sanford's trawler San Granit was killed in November 2018 when caught in the automated freezer system; Sanford pleaded guilty under the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined NZ$375,000 in 2021 (SeafoodSource, 2021). Source · search the archive | PartlySanford pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay NZ$121,860 reparation to the crewman's family plus a NZ$375,000 fine. |
Sources and actions
Sources 10
Show all 10 sources
- Sanford half-year results to 31 March 2025 · search the archive · Tauranga mussel plant closed and sold; that processing now done by a third-party toll processor; Havelock processing factory
- Sanford trims down workforce to focus on salmon processing (Salmon Business, 2019) · search the archive · White fish processing concentrated at Timaru, salmon at Bluff; King Salmon farmed at Big Glory Bay
- Sanford fined for death of crewmember in 2018 (SeafoodSource, 2021) · search the archive · Crewman killed in San Granit freezer system in 2018; guilty plea; NZ$375,000 fine and NZ$121,860 reparation
- Sanford Awarded BAP Certification For Salmon, Mussels (Global Seafood Alliance, 2016) · search the archive · BAP certification for Sanford's salmon and mussel production at Big Glory Bay, Stewart Island
- New Zealand's biggest export seafood species maintain sustainability tick (MSC, 2018) · search the archive · NZ hoki, hake, ling and southern blue whiting recertified; orange roughy and Ross Sea toothfish also MSC certified
Published by Sanford or its owner
- Sanford Fleet · search the archive · 13 named own vessels freezing at sea or landing at Bluff and Timaru; four contracted trawlers via Dong Won NZ and JAICO, about 40 crew each
- Mussel Farming (Sanford) · search the archive · Mussels grown in Marlborough, Golden Bay/Tasman Bay, Coromandel and Stewart Island; over 400 mussel staff
- Overview of Sanford Foreign Crew Systems (Sanford, 2012) · search the archive · Crew agents on charter vessels withheld documents and did not pass on all wages; Sanford compensated crew and changed its system
- Supplier Code of Conduct (Sanford) · search the archive · Bans forced and child labour; Sanford may assess compliance, no independent audits described
- Where to buy Big Glory Bay (Sanford) · search the archive · Retailers listed in NZ, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and the US; none in Australia
Company details
- Headquarters
- New Zealand
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Sanford ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sanford, last researched 23 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded salmon and farmed fish
No salmon and farmed fish brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Sanford.