Photo: Adam Constanza / Adobe Stock.
Tesco is the latest UK supermarket retailer to embark on legal action against several of Norway's salmon farming heavyweights, following the European Commission investigation into anti-competitive conduct in spot sales of Atlantic salmon into the European market during the period 2011-2019.
In March last year, ten UK-based retailers, including leading supermarket chains Asda, Marks and Spencer, Morrison Supermarkets, Aldi Stores the Co-operative Group, embarked on joint legal action against six Norwegian-headquartered salmon producers over anti-trust allegations, seeking total damages of £675 million.
Tesco did not participate in last year's joint action, but has now submitted a separate claim at the High Court in London on 18 February 2025, according to reports by MLex.
The financial value of the claim has not yet been disclosed, but the Tesco lawsuit targets more companies than the joint action filed last year, with 8 companies named. In alphabetical order, these are: Bremnes Seashore, Cermaq Group, Grieg Seafood, Grieg Seafood UK, Lerøy Seafood Group, SalMar, Scottish Sea Farms, and Sjór.
In June 2024, a group of UK consumers launched their own lawsuit for price-fixing and collusion against salmon producers Mowi, Mowi Holdings, SalMar, Lerøy Seafood, Scottish Sea Farms, and Grieg Seafood, claiming financial compensation of up to £382 million.
