Poole-based luxury yacht maker Sunseeker International Limited has been fined £240,000 for breaching UK Timber Regulations (UKTR) following an investigation by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).
Sunseeker International Limited was charged and subsequently pleaded guilty to a number of breaches of the Timber and Timber Products (Placing on the Market) Regulations 2013. These included failures of due diligence and record-keeping regarding imports it made of timber products into the UK in 2021 and 2022, including Teak from Myanmar, Wenge from Africa, and Oak from Europe. The company was penalised for not conducting due diligence and for continuing to import timber (Teak) from Myanmar, which has been regarded as illegal since 2017 due to violations and concerns related to the operations of Myanmar Timber Enterprise.
The UKTR places obligations on businesses trading in timber and timber-related products to tackle illegal logging and protect forests around the world.
At the sentencing at Bournemouth Crown Court, the judge also made a confiscation order in the sum of £66,950.64 against Sunseeker and awarded prosecution costs of £51,619.
OPSS Chief Executive Graham Russell said: “Protecting our natural world is a priority for Government. OPSS will continue to take proportionate action to hold businesses to account where we identify non-compliance with environmental obligations, including criminal prosecution.”
