Crabbers Expand Price-Fixing Lawsuit Against Northwest Processors

A group of Dungeness crab harvesters has expanded its legal battle against alleged price-fixing within the Northwest U.S. seafood industry.

In an amended lawsuit filed on August 21 in a California district court, the plaintiffs, Brand Little and Robin Burns, have broadened their accusations against Oregon-based Pacific Seafood to include several additional seafood processing companies.

The lawsuit now names Washington-based Bornstein Seafoods, Ocean Gold, and other U.S. West Coast crab companies as defendants, accusing them of being part of a “pricing cartel” that participated in price-fixing by artificially manipulating the ex-vessel prices paid to crabbers in California, Oregon, and Washington state.

The plaintiffs allege that this cartel, led by Pacific Seafood, has engaged in suppressing and controlling prices since the beginning of the 2016 Dungy crab season.

Related: PVC Pipe Makers Accused of Price-Fixing in Federal Antitrust Lawsuit

This case represents an escalation in a growing dispute within the commercial fishing industry, where crabbers claim they have been unfairly compensated for their catch due to coordinated efforts by the processing companies to fix prices. The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for the industry, potentially leading to changes in how prices are set and negotiated between harvesters and processors across the Pacific Northwest.

Source: Intra Fish