Mexican bluefin tuna rancher Maricultura del Norte (Marnor) and its joint venture partner are suing rival tuna group Umami, its investors and other parties, alleging the San Diego-based company effectively held its competitor and its operations hostage when it took over a $9.9 million (€7.9 million) defaulted loan and the company's fleet as collateral.
Marnor and Grupo Altex subsidiary Servax Bleu, who own and operate the tuna business owned by Marnor, alleged lender WorldBusiness Capital (WBC), Umami investor Amerra, US government development finance group Overseas Private Investment Corporation and former Societe Generale exec and Amerra Principal Craig Tashjian conspired to create a virtual monopoly for Mexican-ranched bluefin tuna in the United States by taking advantage of a defaulted US government-backed loan of $9.9
