Quin-Sea Fisheries has withdrawn it membership from the Association of Seafood Producers.

Quin-Sea’s withdrawal comes after what the company calls a “strained relationship with ASP” accusing the association of “leading the industry down a negative and unproductive path.”

The company says while it tolerated what it calls ASP’s “strongarming and mistreatment for several months,” it accuses the association of taking the “unprecedented step of attacking its own membership in public.”

Last fall, the association filed a complaint before the Labour Relations Board. The news was made public by the FFAW, who indicated that Royal Greenland, Quin-Sea’s parent company, had failed to provide sales data on 5-8 ounce sections of crab delivered to Boston – a requirement of a third-party review of 2024 snow crab sales.

ASP dropped the complaint last month.

Quin-Sea calls the initiation of a legal proceeding against them “astonishing.” The company says since ASP dropped the proceeding, the associations’ Executive Director has gone on to make statements in the media that Quin-Sea broke the law by refusing to provide confidential business records, statements Quin-Sea says are false.

The company accuses the association of making false claims, launching “baseless and costly attacks,” and ignoring its own bylaws.

Quin-Sea says it will continue to process “the highest quality seafood” as an independent operation outside of ASP, and will continue to purchase fish from harvesters at or above the fair market value price.

ASP has declined comment at this time