UK consumers launch lawsuit against salmon producers for alleged price-fixing

UK – UK consumers have initiated legal action against several salmon producers, accusing them of price-fixing and collusion.

This marks the second lawsuit the salmon companies face in the UK, following a previous claim by major UK supermarkets in March.

The supermarkets had sued the producers over similar allegations after the European Commission notified six Norwegian salmon producers in January of potential EU antitrust rule violations.

The current lawsuit, filed by Waterside Class Limited on behalf of millions of British consumers, argues that it was the consumers, not the retailers, who ultimately bore the brunt of the inflated prices from October 2015 to May 2019.

During this period, the UK was still part of the EU.

The suit names Mowi, Mowi Holdings, SalMar, Lerøy Seafood, Scottish Sea Farms, and Grieg Seafood as defendants.

Waterside Class Limited is seeking up to GBP 382 million (US$484.23 million) in compensation for consumers who purchased farmed Atlantic salmon products from grocery stores, both physical and online, between October 2015 and May 2019.

The claim includes products like fresh and frozen whole salmon, fillets, smoked salmon, and other salmon portions, but excludes processed items like fish cakes, fish pies, and sandwiches, as well as salmon consumed in restaurants.

The lawsuit alleges that the six companies conspired to inflate global prices for farmed Atlantic salmon through various means.

It accuses them of manipulating benchmark prices by using related entities to buy salmon at higher rates and of illegally sharing sensitive price and sales volume information.

The indictment also claims that senior executives from rival companies coordinated transactions, exchanged information, and planned to manipulate prices via emails, meetings, and “working dinners,” forming a cartel that violated competition laws designed to protect consumers.

This legal action is distinct from the one brought by seven major UK supermarkets in March 2024, which sought GBP 675 million (US$ 855.67 million) in damages.

Waterside’s claim emphasizes that consumers, rather than retailers, were the primary victims of the alleged price-fixing, as the increased costs were passed down to them.

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