Round 7: Marine Harvest Piles on the Pressure!

The final round is approaching in the brutal battle that is Marine Harvest's hostile takeover of Cermaq. Before the vote on 21st May at Cermaq's Annual General Meeting in Oslo, Norway, Marine Harvest is piling on the pressure.

Reuters reported (16 May):

It's painfully clear to Cermaq that Marine Harvest's billonnaire owner – 'Viking Raider' John Fredriksen – is not going to give up without a fight.

And Cermaq is under no illusion that Marine Harvest's advances signal an acquisition not a merger.

Intrafish reported (15 May):

Fisheries Information Service reported (15 May):

Whether Cermaq can emulate under-dog Rocky and fight back to win remains in the balance – with Cermaq certainly on the ropes under a sustained assault from the world's largest salmon farming company. Forbes famously described Marine Harvest's owner John Fredriksen as "a murky character notorious for rowdy drinking binges and
playing rough with takeover targets".

Good news for Cermaq came on Tuesday (14 May) when the Norwegian Government came out in support. Intrafish reported:

Expect more below the belt punches from Marine Harvest before this contest is over!

Marine Harvest is flexing their muscles on the feed front too. Intrafish reported (16 May):

The certain winners in the mega-merger are the financial analysts and money sharks who are making a killing in the "feeding frenzy".

Intrafish reported (16 May):

The biggest fish in the pond himself – Marine Harvest's owner John Fredriksen who is the 87th richest person in the world worth $11.5 billion according to the Forbes Rich List– must be laughing all the way to the bank too!