Pacific Seafood Class Action Suit Continues, Feb. 3

Pacific Seafood
Their alleged damages have dropped from more than $400 million to $60 to $90 million, and the number of possible plaintiffs has been reduced to an estimated 1,500; however, a federal judge has granted "class certification" in an anti-trust lawsuit against Pacific Seafood Group of Clackamas, OR.  Pacific Seafood is the largest processor on the West Coast and owns Bandon Seafood in Charleston as well as other operations along the Oregon Coast at Brookings, Newport, Bay City, Garibaldi and Warrenton.  Some commercial fishermen have claimed through their Portland attorney that Pacific Seafood illegally exploits its market power to drive down prices.  The certification by U.S. District Judge Owen Panner Tuesday, Jan. 31, was seen as a key hurdle in the complaint.  The number of plaintiffs and damages narrowed when a claim that Pacific Seafood allegedly manipulated the Dungeness Crab Market was dropped.