Three salmon companies have announced they are set to – or have – received subpoenas from the US government as part of a probe into alleged price-fixing.
Grieg Seafood and SalMar yesterday (14 November) each revealed receipt of a subpoena, while Mowi said it is set to be sent one.
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All three companies referred to class-action complaints filed in the US and to an investigation launched by The European Commission earlier this year.
The class-action lawsuit was filed in April in the US District Court in the Southern District of Florida (Miami division) by the Ohio-based seafood distributor Euclid Fish Company “individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated”, according to the Court document, claiming they paid “artificially inflated” prices for farm-raised salmon.
The case related to the “unlawful coordination of the prices charged to direct purchasers of farm-raised salmon and salmon products derived therefrom (such as salmon fillets or smoked salmon) which were sold directly by” Norwegian companies including Grieg Seafood, SalMar and Mowi.
In a statement, Grieg Seafood said two US-based subsidiaries of sales unit Ocean Quality – Ocean Quality USA and Ocean Quality Premium Brands – have received a subpoena from the US Department of Justice.
“Grieg Seafood ASA and Ocean Quality AS are not aware of any kind of practices that support the allegations, or other practices that undermines competition in either the EU or the US,” the company said. “Grieg Seafood ASA and Ocean Quality AS will fully cooperate with the Department of Justice and will provide as requested all information in relation to the US subsidiaries. There is no new information regarding the European Commission’s case handling.”
In its own statement, SalMar said: “SalMar considers that there are no basis for the EU inspection and that the class action complaints clearly lack merit and are entirely unsubstantiated. This equally applies to any criminal investigation in the US. SalMar will fully cooperate with the Department of Justice and will provide all information as requested.”
In a stock-exchange filing, Mowi, formerly Marine Harvest, hit out at the class action and the EU probe, arguing “there [is] no basis for the EU inspection and that the class-action complaints clearly lack merit and are entirely unsubstantiated. This equally applies to any criminal investigation in the US”.
It added: “Mowi will fully cooperate with the Department of Justice and will provide as requested all information in relation to our US subsidiaries. There is no new information regarding the European Commission’s case handling.”
