Neil LeClair, P.E.I. Fisheries Minister, expressed its doubt over Ocean Choice’s offering to reopen its contract with the province. He sought details from them so that any concrete decision would be taken. On Monday Ocean Choice announced that it will look at the contract again, which prevents the province from issuing new lobster processing licences.
LeClair said he’s willing to meet with Ocean Choice to discuss what they have in mind, but he wants to ensure any new deal would be good for the industry on the Island. He further said that the government is not going to make a foregone assumption here that everything is going to be able to be dealt with.
The president of the P.E.I. Fisherman’s Association said Ocean Choice should not expect to be compensated for tearing up its deal with the province. Kenny Drake says the deal has shut new lobster processors out of the Island industry for five years, and that has given OCI the clout to make decent money. It is told that the province signed the deal with Ocean Choice in 2004 when the company took the assets of Polar Foods off the government’s hands.
