Salmon Price-Fixing Class Action Accusing Mowi, Other Norwegian Producers Draws European Ire

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The European Union (EU) wants discovery to stop in an antitrust class action lawsuit accusing salmon producers, including Mowi Asa, of conspiring to inflate the price of their products.  

In 2019, Mowi Asa, and other major salmon farming companies based in Norway, were accused of conspiring to increase the price of their products by exchanging sensitive information in the United States and Canada. The Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice reportedly opened a criminal investigation into the alleged salmon price-fixing conspiracy in November 2019. 

The European Commission (EC) also carried out unannounced inspections in February 2019 at several of the companies, including Mowi ASA, Grieg Seafood ASA Lerøy Seafood Group ASA and SalMar. 

Now the EU wants discovery to stop, reports Sea Food Source, claiming that investigation into Mowi and other seafood producers is entirely within the preview of the European Commision.  

“The Commission seeks to prevent the discovery of investigatory materials whose continued nondisclosure is critical to the ability of the European Union as a sovereign to investigate and deter unlawful cartel activities,” the agency reportedly said in its brief last week.  

The EU agency has fought the antitrust class action lawsuits, reports Sea Food Source, but lawyers representing the plaintiffs in the antitrust class action lawsuit targeting Mowi and other producers say their claims can stand on their own.  

“There are better ways to address the EC’s concerns without prohibiting the production of the documents at all, which is directly contrary to the goals of the antitrust laws in this country,” they wrote in an email to Sea Food Source. “Plaintiffs and the E.C. can likely address some of these concerns through a meet-and-confer process, which has not yet been conducted.” 

Mowi has farmed its share of legal troubles concerning its farmed salmon. In addition to antitrust class action lawsuits in the United States and Canada, Mowi has been accused of falsely advertising its salmon farming practices.  

Earlier this year, Mowi USA agreed to pay $1.3 million to end a class action lawsuit claiming its Ducktrap River of Maine products were falsely advertised as using “sustainable” salmon farming practices.  

Have you purchased Mowi salmon products? We want to hear from you! Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.

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