A senior executive for the shipping company responsible for spilling about 1,400 tons of molasses into Hawaii waters said the company hadn’t planned for the possibility of a spill.

Vic Angoco said today that Matson Navigation Co. had planned for spills of oil or other chemicals, but not for the sugary substance.

The state didn’t require Matson to plan for the possibility, Hawaii Department of Health Deputy Director Gary Gill and a state Department of Transportation spokeswoman said.

Angoco said the company regrets what happened.

"We take pride in being good stewards of the land, good stewards of the ocean, and in this case, we didn’t live up to our standards," he said. "And we are truly sorry for that, we’re truly sorry for that."

More fish have died because of the spill than in any other incident in the area, Gill said.

The fish are dying because the high concentration of molasses is making it difficult for them to breathe, said Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo.

The spill occurred Monday in an industrial area where Matson loads molasses and other goods for shipping.

Three days after the spill, several patches of discolored water were clearly visible from across the harbor where Matson operates, and fish were tougher than usual to see.

John Hernandez, owner of a fish broker across the harbor from Matson, said he believed it would take years for the waters to restore.

"Mother Nature and the earth seems to always have to deal with our (mistakes)," Hernandez said.

Downstream from the spill, workers collected dead fish in nets at a small sailing club, placing them in plastic bags and blue plastic tubs. About a half-mile away, recreational fishers tried their luck despite warnings from state officials to avoid eating fish from the waters.

Angoco said Matson temporarily patched the hole and the pipe stopped leaking Tuesday morning. The company was working on a permanent fix.

He said the leak occurred in a section of pipe that was not normally used. But he declined to say how the molasses got into the section of pipe where it eventually leaked, saying the company was still investigating.

Gill said the molasses seeped through a section that was supposed to have been sealed off, into the abandoned part of the pipe and eventually to the water.

As much as 233,000 gallons of molasses leaked into the harbor. That’s equivalent to what would fill about seven rail cars or about one-third of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Matson ships molasses from Hawaii to the mainland about once a week. Molasses is made at Hawaii’s last sugar plantation, run by Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co. on Maui.