September 24, 2019 — The following is an excerpt from a story originally published by Undercurrent News:
Quinn Fisheries, a 33-year-old, New Bedford, Massachusetts-based scallop operation, has closed its deal to purchase six of Carlos Rafael’s 11 scallop vessels and their related permits, sources told Undercurrent News.
The acquisition, which was confirmed by Michael Quinn, the operations manager and co-owner of the company with his father and founder Charlie Quinn, doubles the size of the Quinn Fisheries scallop fleet to 12 total vessels and will cost the company about $40 million.
The new vessels acquired include the Acores, Athena, Apollo, Gypsy Girl, Hera II and the Villa Nova Do II, Michael Quinn said.
Undercurrent News had earlier reported how the Quinns had a deal to buy seven of Rafael’s vessels for nearly $46 million, per an Aug. 29 purchase agreement. The deal later was confirmed by court documents related to a lawsuit filed against Rafael by the Buyers and Sellers Exchange (BASE), the New Bedford, Massachusetts-based seafood auction.
BASE’s owners Richie and Raymond Canastra attempted to block the agreement as part of an apparent attempt to acquire the same vessels, which also possess several groundfish permits. They argued unsuccessfully that Rafael violated the rules of groundfish sector 7 related to offering other sector members the right of first refusal.
However, Merita Hopkins, an associate judge in Bristol County, Massachusetts, blocked the temporary restraining order requested by BASE, freeing up the Quinns and Rafael to complete their agreement.