Legal

Maersk sues troubled Alaska processor over unpaid shipping fees

Golden Harvest Alaska has been undergoing internal changes since early July.

Maersk provided shipping services to the Alaska processor in 2019, according a complaint filed with a US court.
Maersk provided shipping services to the Alaska processor in 2019, according a complaint filed with a US court.Foto: Maersk

Denmark-based shipping company Maersk is suing beleaguered Alaska processor Golden Harvest Alaska Seafood for $642,395 (€552,694) over a breach of contract related to shipping services.

This is the latest development affecting the company that abruptly shut down its processing operation in Adak, Alaska, in late May. The closure stems from a management shakeup that has left the company in limbo as a growing number of creditors sue to recover unpaid bills.

The city of Adak is suing Golden Harvest Alaska for unpaid fish taxes, utilities and other costs. The facility remains closed, Adak City Manager Layton Lockett told IntraFish on Monday.

Maersk said it transported cargo for Golden Harvest Alaska during the 2019 fishing season through its Maersk Line service, according to a complaint filed July 24 with the US District Court for the Western District of Washington.

It is unclear whether the plant will open in time to process golden king crab when the season begins in early August.

The facility is the only shore plant in Adak, which is located on the western edge of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, some 1,200 miles from Anchorage.

The plant was formerly owned by Icicle Seafoods, which closed the facility in 2013. Trident Seafoods bid to acquire the plant when it was put up for auction. However, the Adak Community Development Corp. and the City of Adak, Alaska, won the bid, spending roughly $2 million (€1.8 million) to keep the equipment from being removed from the island, which would would have been an economic blow to the remote community.

Golden Harvest Alaska has offices in Bellingham, Washington, and the 144,000 square-foot plant in Adak, according the company's website. It produces golden king crab, Pacific cod, halibut and other seafood.

In May 2018, Golden Harvest Alaska CEO and President Jason Ogilvie joined Alaska Governor Bill Walker and executives from Trident Seafoods and other Alaska company in an Alaska trade mission to China, which included spending time at the headquarters of e-commerce giant Alibaba.

It is unclear as to the current status of Ogilvie.

(Copyright)
Published 28 July 2020, 12:20Updated 28 July 2020, 12:31
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