Updated
July 10, 2026
A $6.5 million settlement resolved claims that tuna producers inflated the price of large packaged tuna sold to warehouse-club and direct buyers. The claim deadline has passed.
What was the Tuna Class Action Settlement About?
A $6,500,000 was previously settled with tuna producers and sellers in the United States over allegations that certain packaged tuna products had artificially inflated prices, taking advantage of consumers who ended up overpaying for canned or packaged tuna. The class action is now closed to new claims. Please find an updated list of open class actions on our settlements page.The tuna class action lawsuit alleges that certain tuna manufacturers violated United State competition, monopoly, and antitrust laws in an effort to raise prices, including the following companies:
• COSI (Chicken of the Sea),
• Starkist Tuna (Parent company DWI - Dongwon Industries Co. Ltd),
• Bumble Bee Tuna (Parent companies Lion Capital, Lion America, Big Catch),
• 40 ounce (40 oz.) or greater packaged tuna from one of the sellers listed below.
According to the class action lawyers in the settlement, tuna manufacturers conspired together in order to fix, raise, or otherwise keep prices inflated to make larger profit margins. The tuna class action affects purchases of packaged or canned tuna of 40 ounces (40 oz.) sizes or larger between the following dates: June 2011 through December 2016. To qualify, your purchase of packaged tuna must have been made from one of these stores directly:
• Wal-Mart
• Costco
• Sam's Club
• DOT Foods
• Sysco
Status
Claims Closed
Claim deadline passed June 21, 2023
Claim Deadline
June 21, 2023 (Passed)
Settlement Fund
$6,500,000
Direct-purchaser settlement · 40 oz+ packaged tuna
Proof Required
Yes
Class Member ID required to file
How Do I Qualify For a Payout?
You may qualify for the 2023 tuna open class action if you purchased certain 40 ounce packaged/canned tuna products anytime June 2011 through December 2016. The purchases must have been made at either Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam's Club, DOT Foods, or Sysco. The following states are part of the tuna class action:| Qualifying States |
|---|
| Arizona |
| Arkansas |
| California |
| District of Columbia |
| Florida |
| Kansas |
| Maine |
| Massachusetts |
| Michigan |
| Minnesota |
| Mississippi |
| Nebraska |
| Nevada |
| New Hampshire |
| New Mexico |
| New York |
| North Carolina |
| North Dakota |
| Oregon |
| Rhode Island |
| South Carolina |
| South Dakota |
| Tennessee |
| Utah |
| Vermont |
| West Virginia |
| Wisconsin |
How Much Will I Get Paid?
The settling defendants in the tuna class action settlement of 2023 have agreed to pay a total lump sum of at least $6,500,000 towards the tuna settlement fund. The lawsuit amount also includes lawyer fees, court fees, and additional awards to the initial class action participants (lead plaintiffs). The final amount that each valid and legitimate claimant will receive will be determined once the tuna class action administrators have received and approved all filed claim forms (you can find a link below).Do I Need Proof of Purchase?
No proof of purchase is required to file a claim in the tuna class action. If you file a valid claim that is on time (by June 21, 2023) and were part of the qualifying requirements you may be able to receive payment as part of the class action. However, you will first need to register to receive a "class member" ID which you can then use to file a claim form here.What If I Don't Qualify for the 2023 tuna purchasers Class Action?
Look for other Class Action Settlements you do qualify for by getting notified of new ones as they are announced, here:How Do I File a Claim?
To be eligible to receive a payment from the 2023 Tuna Class Action Settlement, you will have to complete and submit a timely Claim Form by June 21, 2023 online at the very latest. You can print and send your completed claim form by mail, postmarked by June 21, 2023, to the tuna class action administrator's mailing address, which you can find on their website.To file you will need a notice or "Class Member" ID. If you did not receive a postcard or any other notification with a class member, or notification ID number you will need to fill a short registration form on the tuna class action website to receive a class member ID. Once you register you should receive an ID via email that you can use to file a claim (see the link below to the claim form website as well as the link to the registration form).
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Filing Class Action Settlement Claims
Please note that your claim form will be rejected if you submit a settlement claim with fraudulent information. By providing this information and your sworn statement of its veracity, you agree to do so under the penalty of perjury. You would also be harming others that actually qualify for the class action settlement. If you are not sure whether or not you qualify for this class action settlement, visit the class action administrator's website. OpenClassActions.com is a participant in the Amazon affiliate advertising program and this post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission or fees if you make a purchase via those links.
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