The prospect of paying fishermen higher prices has processors protesting the new rockfish program.
Five companies with processing operations in Kodiak that took nearly every delivery under the expired Gulf of Alaska rockfish pilot program sued National Marine Fisheries Service 24 January in the U.S. Western District of Washington to overturn the new program set to take effect this May.
Trident Seafoods, Ocean Beauty, Westward Seafoods, North Pacific Seafoods and International Seafoods of Alaska said in their complaint that competition from the other three Kodiak processors under the revised program will drive up prices paid to fishermen and cut into their profits.
Seattle-based Trident Seafoods is the largest seafood company in the state. Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp., one of six western Alaska Community Development quota groups, owns 50 percent of Ocean Beauty, also based in Seattle. Westward Seafood is owned by Maruha Nichiro, North Pacific Seafoods is owned by Marubeni Corp. and International Seafoods of Alaska is owned by a subsidiary of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s church.
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