Bay de Verde seafood processor Quinlan has filed a statement of claim in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, seeking damages from what it calls the “unjustified and illegal seizure and destruction” of snow crab by the provincial department of fisheries in 2024.

The lawsuit alleges that government officials acted “without lawful authority in seizing and subsequently destroying” some 52,000 pounds of processed crab ready for market.

That, contends the company, caused “substantial financial losses and significant harm” to its reputation.

President Robin Quinlan says the lawsuit is about ensuring accountability for decisions made under the previous administration that caused “substantial harm” to their business, their workers and the communities that depend on them.

Quinlan was acquitted last November on all charges laid against the company.