Settlement Website: SalmonDirectPurchaserSettlement.com
Objection Deadline: 7/11/2022
Exclusion Deadline: 7/11/2022
Claim Form: https://secure.salmondirectpurchasersettlement.com
Deadline For Submitting Claim: 09/23/2022
Final Hearing Date: 09/08/2022
Settlement Amount: $85 million
Proof Of Purchase: Provide supporting documentation such as receipts, invoices, or other payment documents naming the payee and payor.
Potential Claim Amount: Class Members are eligible for cash payment under the terms of the settlement. However, the payment will vary according to the number of claims filed and the amount of commerce claimed in total. The amount received by each class member will be proportional to their share of the settlement fund based on eligible products purchased by them. Following initial distributions, the unclaimed funds will be used for the second round of payments or a cy pres donation to other organizations. In no case will the defendants retain any funds to themselves.
A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Salmon manufacturers alleging they inflated the price of salmon products. This $85 million settlement will benefit consumers who bought farm-raised Atlantic salmon products from the defendants between 10th April 2013 and 26th May 2022. Salmon Direct Purchaser Settlement estimates approximately 800 class members under the definition of “all persons or entities in the U.S., their territories and Washington, D.C. who purchased farm-raised Atlantic salmon or related products from the [Norwegian salmon-farming companies] from April 10, 2013, until the date of preliminary approval of the settlement.”
The defendants against who the class action lawsuit has been filed are:
- Mowi (formerly known as Marine Harvest)
- Mowi Ducktrap (also known as Ducktrap River of Maine)
- Greig Seafood (formerly known as Ocean Quality)
- Sjór AS
- SalMar
- Lerøy Seafood
- Cermaq
These above-mentioned Norwegian companies are big producers and distributors of farm-raised salmon products. Various restaurants, fish markets, and other companies have purchased salmon products directly from these manufacturers. As per the class-action lawsuit, the salmon producers engaged in a price-fixing scheme for violating federal law. They allegedly worked together to hike up the price of salmon products farmed in the United States since at least 2015.
Since these renowned producers set the benchmark for global salmon prices, the salmon market is susceptible to manipulation by the Norwegian salmon giants. As a result, the high prices led to a massive ripple throughout the salmon market. The plaintiffs complained that they were tricked into overpaying for the salmon products bought from the defendants. Direct purchasers would have been able to secure the same products at a lower price had the market maintained healthy competition.
The defendants have denied all liability for this conduct and have asserted that their conduct was lawful, exempt from the antitrust laws, and didn’t cause any injury to the plaintiffs. However, the defendants, in this case, have agreed to resolve all allegations brought against them with an $85 million settlement. Class members who wish to speak at the fairness hearing should submit a court notice by 11th July 2022.