Fonterra's recent convictions for polluting the Rangataiki River could harm New Zealand's image and the country's exports. That's the opinion of Fish & Game chief executive Bryce Johnson.

'This is a wakeup call for Fonterra,” declares Bryce.

The Rangataiki downstream from Edgecumbe. Picture: Google maps.

'The company's managers and directors need to sit up and take notice of this conviction and the judge's sharp criticisms of its actions.”

He was commenting following the news that Fonterra had received fines of $174k after pleading guilty to six effluent discharges from its Edgecumbe plant and associated irrigators.

The offences occurred between September 2014 and April 2015.

'It is a very bad look for one of this country's major companies to be prosecuted for such an offence,” adds Bryce.

'Fonterra should be a shining example of good environmental practice if it wants to retain its social licence to operate.”

He also insisted that Fonterra's shareholders deserve better, and it should take note of the strong comments and criticisms in the judge's written decision.

'Leadership is becoming a critical factor across the primary sector,” he says, 'and the best way of providing that is leading by example. Fonterra has fallen well short of that.

'When any judge says they are amazed at a big corporate's lack of action addressing a known problem, and describes this lack of action as ‘carelessness bordering on deliberateness and negligence', then that is a serious indictment of that company.”

A recent Horizon Research public opinion survey found that 72 per cent of adult New Zealanders think dairy companies should be required to take responsibility for the environmental performance of their contracted suppliers, says Bryce.

'This prosecution can only further reduce public confidence in the dairy industry being a responsible environmental guardian,” he adds.