Photo: Quinlan Bros./CBC/FIS

Rotten Crab? Quinlan Brothers Ltd. facing 4 charges under Fish Inspection Act

CANADA
Monday, August 05, 2024, 02:00 (GMT + 9)

The following is an excerpt from an article published by CBC Canada:

The province says an N.L. fish plant was trying to sell rotten crab. The fish plant is snapping back

The owner of a major seafood processing plant in Bay de Verde says major inspection issues are at the root of claims his company was selling rotten crab.

Robin Quinlan, president of Quinlan Brothers Ltd., said the accusations are a "very serious misrepresentation of the facts of what had occurred at the facility."

Quinlan told reporters Thursday that independent inspectors had assessed the catches in question and passed them. But when provincial Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture inspectors showed up for a surprise assessment, they deemed those same catches unfit for the market.

The company was formally charged last week under the provincial Fish Inspection Act and Fish Inspection Operations Regulations — accused of moving and processing dead snow crab.

The four charges are related to two provincial inspections at the plant in May and June.

Quinlan told reporters the independent inspectors said both catches contained 99 per cent live crab. He also detailed how his experienced production staff examines each specimen for distinct signs of contamination and rot before the crab is packaged and sold.

Photo: Quinlan Bros.

Provincial inspectors, he says, use different tools and grading methods compared to independent inspectors even though both parties are following provincial rules about how to assess crab quality.

"There is absolutely no consistency in the inspection methods or sample sizes used by industry, specifically IDG [the independent inspectors] and [the Fisheries Department]," he said. "And herein lies the problem."

Photo: Quinlan Bros.

Quinlan said the province told him to either cull the product or they would seize it, and says they refused to assess the crab again.

The province took Quinlan's product to a landfill, despite his claims the buyer was happy with the product and still intended to purchase it.

Quinlan said the confiscated crab was worth about $500,000 and he intends to fight the charge and the loss of revenue he incurred in court.

Minister concerned about market reputation

The charges against Quinlan Brothers Ltd. are suggestive of a wider problem, according to the province.

In a news release last week, the Fisheries Department said its inspectors had already encountered problems with snow crab quality this season, saying they've needed to toss out large volumes of dead crab – around 200,000 pounds already this year. [continues....]

Author:  Malone Mullin · CBC News  | Read the full article by clicking the link here

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