StarKist Fined $100 Million for Scheme to Fix Canned Tuna Prices

StarKist Co. must pay a $100 million criminal fine, the maximum allowed by law, for its role in a price-fixing scheme by the country’s top sellers of canned tuna, a Northern District of California judge ruled Sept. 11.

The fine, ordered by Judge Edward M. Chen, comes after the company pleaded guilty last October to one count of felony price fixing. StarKist allegedly colluded with Bumble Bee Foods LLC and Chicken of the Sea, which is owned by Tri-Union Seafoods LLC.

The conspiracy dates back to 2011, according to court papers. It involved, among other things, a mutual agreement not ...