The Newfoundland Department of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture has charged Bay de Verde, Newfoundland-based seafood wholesaler Quinlan Brothers for allegedly processing dead snow crab and moving snow crab while under detention.
In a public advisory, the department said inspections conducted on 30 May and 29 June discovered quality and disposal issues with snow crab. The inspections resulted in four separate charges, and according to the department, the company has discarded approximately 200,000 pounds of snow crab in 2024 and disposed of 300,000 pounds of snow crab in 2023.
“Quality is of utmost importance in maintaining Newfoundland and Labrador’s reputation for seafood in the global market. Holding and handling conditions have a direct impact on the quality of snow crab from the time it comes out of the water until it is processed. If crab isn’t handled or stowed properly throughout this chain, quality is affected,” the Newfoundland Department of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture said in its advisory. “The Provincial Government continues to support harvesters and processors to ensure Newfoundland and Labrador snow crab remains recognized as a high-quality product in the market.”
The department said that its Quality Assurance Program, introduced in 1996, was created to improve the quality of fish and promote the province as a leading seafood producer in the international marketplace.
“Fisheries inspectors work hard to ensure seafood caught, processed, and sold from Newfoundland and Labrador can compete with top producers in the world,” the public advisory said.
Quinlan Brothers was purchased by Royal Greenland in 2020 after the Quinlan’s shareholders said the sale was in the “best long-term interest of the company and those associated with the business for them to transition their ownership at this time.” The purchase followed up on Royal Greenland purchase of QuinSea Fisheries in 2016; both companies shared common ownership for multiple years before Royal Greenland’s purchase.
