Howard’s Cove facility is having its official opening on Thursday as a new facility of rock crab processing. Howard’s Cove facility was once part of the now defunct Polar Foods International. Most of that company’s assets were eventually taken over by Ocean Choice International, but the Newfoundland Company took a pass on Howard’s Cove. . Bruce Buote and John Osmann bought this facility from Reubin Wall and aim to breathe new life into the plant economy, processing rock crab, mackerel, silversides and other varieties of seafood.
It is said that the new owners will be prohibited from processing lobster. Ocean Choice is paying for the former Polar properties over a period of time that ends in 2015. It is said that if the province issues any lobster processing licences before that time, the remaining amount is deemed to be paid in full. The new company is said to rely on the vast international experience and contacts of Osmann, a young veteran of several decades in the international seafood trade, and formerly operations manager at the Souris facility operated by Ocean Choice.
It is mentioned that Red Cove will begin processing rock crab the first week in June, using a newly built state-of-the-art production line fabricated locally at Charlottetown Metal Products. It will provide a market for rock crab landed by lobster fishermen as a by-catch and for other fishermen involved in the crab fishery.
