Does Dongwon fraud suit have merit? US federal judge to decide

A federal judge is expected to decide in the next 30 days whether Korean tuna giant Dongwon Industries fraudulently operated fishing vessels in United States territories.

The suit, filed Jan. 10, alleges Dongwon, owner of StarKist Tuna, has and is defrauding the US government in order to obtain US vessel documentation and tuna fishing licenses for the South Pacific.

Michael Moore, senior partner and founder of Florida-based maritime and aviation law firm Moore and Co., told IntraFish the case is still at the very early stages and although the allegations are serious and well researched, it's still up to a judge to decide if they have merit.

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