The brutal battle between Marine Harvest and Cermaq cranked up a notch today (9 May) with the two sides in entrenched positions. "No comment," was the answer from Cermaq's CEO Jon Hindar when questioned on whether he considered it a "hostile takeover" by Marine Harvest.
However, Cermaq's CEO dropped his guard in an exclusive interview – Intrafish reported (9 May):
Intrafish, the industry's trade bible, reported (9 May) how a raised offer from Cermaq's bitter rival was "out of the question":
Cermaq's CEO has clearly left the door open as the verbal sparring becomes
more and more intense.
Follow all the news on the mega-merger via Intrafish – online here!
Intrafish also reported today (9 May) how Marine Harvest were fighting legal action in Canada.
Read more via a new blog tomorrow!
Cermaq themselves are also fighting the 'Salmon Farming Kills' lawsuit in Canada – with the appeal hearing scheduled for 28 May in the British Columbia Court of Appeal.
The 'Clash of the Titans' between the world's largest salmon farming company Marine Harvest and the Norwegian Government-owned Cermaq is set to go the distance – with Cermaq's Annual General Meeting on 21 May in Oslo, Norway, the final battleground.
Read more via "Round 3: Marine Harvest's Open Letter to Cermaq Shareholders"
The fight could be a dirty one indeed – Forbes famously described John Fredriksen as "a murky character notorious for rowdy drinking binges and
playing rough with takeover targets". Marine Harvest's owner John Fredrisken is the biggest fish in the
murky waters of the global salmon farming pond.
Fredriksen is the 87th richest man in the world
world worth $11.5 billion according to the Forbes Rich List and goes by the nickname 'Storeulv' (Big Wolf) – the name of Fredriksen's unauthorized biography. The smart money is certainly on Fredriksen sealing the deal for Cermaq.
However, this fascinating fight will go on for several more rounds yet!
More on this story via:
- Round 3: Marine Harvest's Open Letter to Cermaq Shareholders
- Round 2: Marine Harvest's Counter-Punch for Cermaq?
- Clash of the Titans: Cermaq Vs Marine Harvest
- Mmm Mega-Marine Harvest: Super-Liced Salmon!
- Salmon Giant Eats Salmon Giant – Marine Harvest takeover of Cermaq!
