Pacific Seafood has avoided a class action lawsuit filed by Crabbers

Pacific Seafood has for now rejected a proposed class action lawsuit accusing it of fixing the price paid to crabs for landing Dungeness crabs in the Pacific Northwest.

The lead plaintiff, crab dealer Brand Little, alleged that Pacific had gained control of the price paid for crabs through “forced combinations” with other wholesale buyers and with certain crabs.

Little’s claims under Section 1 of the Sherman Act fail because he failed to convincingly allege that Pacific Seafood coerced “substantially all” direct purchasers of fresh crabs on the West Coast into the alleged conspiracy, Justice of the Peace Alex G. Tse found from the USA District Court…