Hello all --

The co-founder of Norwegian cod farmer Norcod and the developer of a proposed mega-salmon farm off the coast of Maine just can't seem to stay out of trouble. Then again, they can't seem to stop getting out of trouble, either.

The latest incident involves a dispute with Norwegian billionaire Helge Gaso over a NOK 26 million loan. But literally minutes before a judge heard the case, a phone call changed everything. Read on.

Another Norway-based legal dispute was also resolved this week, but Mowi walked away a loser in a tiff over payouts to its former Ireland managing director. It's good to read the fine print of those contracts. The case will cost the salmon giant around $100,000.

Place your bets

If you haven't read our exclusive 2022 deal roundup, or this special focus on private equity, make sure and take a look.

I read the tea leaves last week, and I have some ideas on which seafood companies are going to be making deals this year. I'd be a fool if I didn't put Cooke Inc. at the top of the list, and that's what I did. But some of the others might come as a surprise. The nice thing is, I have a full year before I can be proven wrong.

Must-reads:

My personal favorite this week was from Hanna Gezelius, who spoke with Marine Stewardship Council's Nicolas Guichoux about his career in sustainable fisheries. Not only has Guichoux had a remarkable career at the eco-label group, but a recent health scare made him think hard about what he has contributed to the industry and the world. It will make you think too.

Another one, from Rachel Mutter, is one you need to know if you are buying from or supplying feed to Indian shrimp producers. Like so many export-oriented countries, India is looking in its backyard and seeing opportunity well beyond what other countries are offering. This company thinks it knows how to tap in.

(Just a reminder -- if you have a favorite reporter whose work you want to follow, that's easy to do. Go to your Alerts setting on the IntraFish.com home page, type in their name, and set the frequency for when you want to hear from them.)

Reader favorites:

Have a great week everyone,

Drew Cherry
Editor-in-Chief

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