The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleges Dongwon-owned US tuna giant Starkist's claim that it is unable to pay a criminal fine up to $100 million (€89.2 million) for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices of packaged seafood sold in the United States is "grossly inflated."

"StarKist’s claimed inability to pay is based on financial projections created during pending litigation that grossly inflate its hypothetical future civil damages and substantially undervalue its estimated future earnings," the DOJ said in a court document filed May 15 with a US District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco.