Tuna Price Fixing Civil Suit Picks Up as Wal-Mart, 
Other Retailers File Amended Complaints
The announcement by the Dept. of Justice that Bumble Bee plead guilty to a criminal price-fixing charge has led to a flurry of amended complaints in the retail class action suit against the three big tuna companies who dominate the US market. The amended complaint by Wal-Mart and others, such as Winn Dixie, allege that the conspiracy traces back to 2004, following the Infofish Tuna meeting in Bangkok. Wal-Mart and the others say that the guilty plea in a criminal case does not foreclose the possibility of a larger conspiracy, and in the civil case which seeks to set damages, they have set out to prove a much more widespread conspiracy. Wal-Mart published a list of 56 people they identified as “conspiracy players”.
North Atlantic, Inc. and its subsidiary Bali Seafood International became the first U.S.-based company to commit to one of the United Nations' Sustainability Development Goals (SDG). The companies agreed to Goal 14, which aims to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.” In support of SDG 14 North Atlantic and Bali Seafood said they will collect data from every vessel in their supply chain, through either passive tracking units or e-log catch documentation.
In other news, Bob O’Bryant has been hired to lead all operational and marketing efforts at Cannon Fish Company (CFC) as the company’s next president. He most recently served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Bornstein Seafood. “It is an honor to assume the position of President of CFC and help APICDA fulfill its mission to sustain rural Alaska villages through the Community Development Quota (CDQ) program,” said O’Bryant.
Meanwhile, there was a big shift away from putting Bristol Bay red salmon into cans last season. Instead, the fish was processed into higher value fillets and headed/gutted fish whole fish. The canned pack dropped to 27 percent, while H&G fresh increased eight-fold to 14 million pounds. Sockeye salmon fillet production doubled to 50 million pounds.
Finally, high winds have delayed the opening of the lobster fishery off Cape Breton. The opening of the fishery in Area 27, which extends from Bay St. Lawrence to Gabarus, was scheduled for Monday but has been changed to Wednesday.
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