FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          AT
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1997                         (202) 616-2771
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888


       JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CHARGES 10 WEST COAST COMMERCIAL
                 CRAB FISHERMEN WITH PRICE FIXING

                                 
Consumers in California, Oregon and Washington Paid More for Crab


     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Ten West Coast commercial crab fishermen
were charged today by the Department of Justice with leading an
illegal conspiracy to raise the sales price fishermen were paid
by crab processors and boycotting all processors until they
agreed to pay that fixed price for crab.  As a result, consumers
in California, Oregon and Washington paid more for crab.  

     The conspiracy also resulted in a significant reduction of
the amount of crab available for sale to processors during
December 1995--the first full month of the 1995/96 West Coast
crab fishing season.

     The Department's Antitrust Division and Attorneys General
from Oregon, California and Washington filed a joint antitrust
suit and a proposed settlement today in U.S. District Court in
Portland, Oregon.  The consent decree, if approved by the court,
would settle the suit.   Under the proposed settlement, the
fishermen will reimburse the three states a total of $90,974 for
attorneys fees and investigative costs. 

     "The states took the lead in this matter, and utilizing
their special statutory authority, they required the fishermen to
reimburse them for their fees and costs," said Joel I. Klein,
Acting Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department's
Antitrust Division.  "This is the first time this type of remedy
is being used in this industry, and it should provide additional
deterrence against such conduct in the future." 
  
     The 10 commercial crab fishermen charged in the suit are:

     --Jerry Hampel and Jeff Mulkey of Coos Bay, Oregon.
     --Brad Pettinger, Joseph Speir and Todd Whaley of Brookings,
       Oregon.
     --Allen Gann, Russell Smotherman and Dennis Sturgell, of     
       Astoria, Oregon.
     --Richard Sheldon of Ilwaco, Washington.
     --Thomas Timmer of Crescent City, California.

     Each year, more than $10 million of seafood is sold to
purchasers in the major fishing ports in California, Oregon and
Washington.

     According to the complaint, the 10 fishermen were leaders in
persuading other commercial fishermen on the West Coast to agree
to a minimum sales price of $1.25 per pound for crab, and to not
begin fishing until all of the West Coast processors had agreed
to pay that price.  The conspiracy was carried out through a
series of meetings that took place during the months of November
and December 1995 in fishing ports including, Ilwaco and
Westport, Washington; Astoria/Warrenton, Newport, South Beach,
Charleston and Brookings, Oregon; and Crescent City and Eureka,
California.  The conspiracy also was implemented through a series
of telephone calls which took place during November and December
1995 and January 1996.
     Some of the fishermen charged sought to enforce the pricing
agreement by threatening physical or economic harm to any
fishermen who were not willing to go along with the agreement. 
As a direct result of this agreement and efforts by those charged
and others to enforce it, the vast majority of commercial
fishermen on the West Coast did not fish for crab during December
of 1995, the complaint said.

     The proposed consent decree prevents the 10 men from
participating in any discussion, communication or agreement with
other fishermen, regarding the price or sales terms to be
negotiated with purchasers except as members of a fishermen's
marketing association formed under the Fishermen's Collective
Marketing Act or similar state statutes.  The men also must not
discuss or agree on refraining from fishing while commercial
fishermen are negotiating prices with purchasers.  They are
prohibited from threatening any other commercial fisherman's
business. 
 
     Klein said that this case is another excellent example of
effective state-federal cooperation in halting cartel behavior
that raises prices.

     This matter is being handled by the San Francisco Office of
the Antitrust Division.  The term of the consent decree is five
years.  Public comment on the proposed decree is invited within
the 60-day statutory comment period.  Interested persons may
address comments to Christopher S Crook, Acting Chief, San
Francisco Office, U.S. Dept. of  Justice, Antitrust Division, Box
36046, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, California 94102
(telephone: 415 436-6660).
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