Case Details

Year Initiated/Committed

2005

Year Resolved

2005

Settlement Amount

n/a

Court

Kennebec Superior Court, Maine

Docket Number

CV-05-327

Lead State

ME

Participating States

ME

Defendant(s)

Cooke Aquaculture, Inc.; Horton’s of Maine, Inc.

Case Description

Complaint charged that the acquisition of a number of salmon aquaculture lease sites in Washington and Hancock Counties by Cooke Aquaculture Inc. from Stolt Sea Farms, Inc. would have placed Cooke in a virtual monopoly position, controlling most of the lease sites in the State suitable for raising salmon. The relevant market is highly concentrated. The Consent Decree requires Cooke to surrender its leasehold interest in four specified aquaculture sites to the Department of Marine Resources, as a means of bringing the company into compliance with a statutory acreage limit as well as antitrust laws. In addition, Cooke is required to divest or sell its interest in two significant salmon aquaculture sites in Cobscook Bay, known as Prince Cove and Rodgers Island, within six months.