NOTE 18. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Operating Lease Payable

The Company has noncancellable operating leases, primarily for land and building, that expire over one to seven years.

Future minimum payments under non-cancelable operating lease obligations for the five years ending December 31, 2017 and thereafter are as follows (in thousands):

Rental expense for long-term operating leases was $2.7 million, $2.4 million and $2.3 million in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

InCon Contingency

In September 2011, the Company acquired all of the outstanding equity of InCon in a cash transaction pursuant to the terms of an equity purchase agreement. The equity of InCon was indirectly held by four individuals (the “Sellers”), two of whom continue to be employed by InCon and share in the management of InCon’s business. InCon is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

In addition to the acquisition date cash purchase price, the Sellers may also earn additional amounts based on the annual EBITDA of InCon’s toll processing and specialty product business during calendar years 2012 through 2016. The Company and the Sellers amended the earn-out terms on April 25, 2013 by lowering the earn-out by 35% of the original formula in 2013 and all future years. The annual earn-out provisions (as amended) are determined based on a percentage of InCon’s EBITDA, adjusted for certain product sales and costs, which percentage ranges from 3.25% of the first $3.0 million of EBITDA to 19.5% of EBITDA in excess of $12.0 million.

The annual earn-out payments, if any, will be estimated on a quarterly basis and paid subsequent to year end. The Company will record the estimated contractual obligation as compensation expense during each year as it is deemed probable that such amount will be payable. In addition, the earn-out payments are subject to certain reductions associated with future InCon capital expenditures and forfeitures based on termination of employment of a Seller. For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company has not recorded an annual earn-out estimate.

Legal Contingencies

On May 18, 2011, the Company’s fishing vessel, F/V Sandy Point, was involved in a collision with a commercial cargo vessel. As a result of the collision, the Company’s vessel sank and three Company crew members died. Representatives of the three deceased crewmembers, as well as certain other crewmembers, filed lawsuits against the Company. All claims in the matter have been settled. All claims arising from the incident have been covered by the Company’s insurance policies, subject to customary deductibles.

In conjunction with the sinking of the vessel, the Company recorded a net insurance receivable of approximately $5.9 million related primarily to costs expended salvaging the sunken vessel from the Mississippi ship channel and other claims and a net receivable of $1.8 million related to the insurance value of the vessel. The $1.8 million receivable related to the vessel value was received in 2011. An additional $5.7 million related to the salvage of the vessel was received from the Company’s primary insurance carrier when in June 2013, the Company completed the settlement of the vessel and salvage receivables with its insurance carrier.

The Company has been named in a lawsuit filed in federal court in the Southern District of Mississippi in connection with the death of an employee at the Company’s Moss Point, Mississippi plant in April 2012. The lawsuit alleges that the Company intentionally caused the employee’s death, a claim that the Company emphatically denies. The Company believes that the claim is covered by the state’s workers compensation statute which provides that worker compensation benefits are the exclusive remedy for a work-related injury or death under these circumstances. The Company intends to contest the claim vigorously.

Insurance

The Company believes its insurance coverage to be in such form, against such risks, for such amounts and subject to such deductibles and self-retentions as are generally prudent for its operations but the securing of such coverage by necessity requires judgment in the balancing of retained risk and the cost effectiveness of such insurance programs. In recent years, for example, the Company has elected to increase its deductibles and self-retentions in order to manage rising insurance premium costs. These higher deductibles and self-retentions will expose the Company to greater risk of loss if future claims occur.

Insurance coverage may not be available in the future at current costs or on what the Company considers to be commercially reasonable terms. Furthermore, any insurance proceeds received for any loss of, or damage to, any of the Company’s facilities may not be sufficient to restore the loss or damage without negative impact on our results of our business, financial condition or results of operations. In addition, should a Company insurer become insolvent, the Company would be responsible for payment of all outstanding claims associated with that insurer’s policies.

Regulatory Matters

The Company is subject to various possible claims and lawsuits regarding environmental matters. Except as noted below, management believes that costs, if any, related to these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the results of operations, cash flows or financial position of the Company.

In April 2010, the Company received a request for information from the EPA concerning its bail wastewater practices used in its fishing operations at its Reedville, Virgina facility. In February 2011, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted inspections at the Company’s Reedville facility regarding the Reedville vessels’ bilge water discharge practices. Based on these inquiries, both agencies commenced investigations of the Company’s bail waste water and bilge water practices at its Reedville facility. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia subsequently reviewed both the results of the Coast Guard inspection and the EPA request for information.

In June 2013, the Company’s subsidiary, Omega Protein, resolved both the U.S. Coast Guard and EPA investigations by entering into a plea agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Pursuant to terms of the plea agreement, the Company’s subsidiary pled guilty to two Clean Water Act violations. The plea agreement required the subsidiary to pay a $5.5 million fine, be placed on a three year term of probation, and implement an environmental compliance program. In addition to the $5.5 million fine, the subsidiary was required to make a $2.0 million contribution to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects in Virginia related to the protection of the environmental health of the Chesapeake Bay. The plea agreement was approved by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in June 2013 and the subsidiary paid both the $5.5 million fine and the $2.0 million contribution in July 2013. Omega Protein will be on probation until June 2016, unless the probation period is terminated earlier by the court. The Company recorded charges related to the investigation of $8.0 million and $0.5 million for the years ended 2012 and 2011, respectively.

In 2013, Omega Protein requested an equivalency determination from the U.S. Coast Guard for its Gulf of Mexico fleet regarding the use of certain vessel equipment required for “ocean-going vessels” (as defined by Coast Guard regulations) that operate beyond the 12 nautical mile limit. In April 2013 the Coast Guard granted Omega Protein a partial waiver for its 2013 fishing season that allowed Omega Protein to travel, but not fish, outside 12 nautical miles of shore. In January 2014, the Coast Guard granted Omega Protein’s request to utilize alternate and enhanced management procedures to satisfy the Coast Guard’s required vessel equipment, subject to certain restrictions. The Coast Guard also granted Omega Protein a 12 month waiver from the equipment requirements to allow the Company sufficient time to implement these alternate measures and also allowed fishing beyond the 12 nautical mile limit for a 12 month period, subject to certain restrictions. The Company intends to implement these measures by the beginning of the 2015 fishing season.

In May 2012, the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources issued a proclamation that banned the commercial fishing of menhaden using purse seine netting in North Carolina state waters. The restrictions in the proclamation were subsequently enacted into law by the North Carolina General Assembly, effectively prohibiting the Company’s fishing operations in these state waters. Federal waters outside the North Carolina three-nautical mile state water limit remain unaffected. In 2011, the Company caught approximately 1.6% of its total 2011 fish catch in North Carolina state waters.

Indemnification

The Company’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws limit the liability of the Company’s officers and directors to the fullest extent permitted by Nevada law. Nevada provides that directors of Nevada corporations may be relieved of monetary liabilities for breach of their fiduciary duties as directors, except under certain circumstances, including (i) acts or omissions which involve intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law or (ii) the willful or grossly negligent payment of unlawful distributions.

The Company’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws generally require the Company to indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Nevada law. The Company’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws also require the Company to advance expenses to its directors and its officers to the fullest extent permitted by Nevada law upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such director or officer to repay such amount if it should be ultimately determined that they are not entitled to indemnification by the Company. The Company also has entered into indemnification agreements with all of its directors and certain of its officers which provides for the indemnification and advancement of expenses by the Company. The Company also maintains director and officer liability insurance with respect to liabilities arising out of certain matters, including matters arising under the securities laws. This insurance is subject to limitations, conditions and deductibles set forth in the respective insurance policy.