No crab, no groundfish, no work: New Harbour plants won't open this year, owner reveals

Employees of fish plants owned by Daley Brothers in New Harbour, Trinity Bay are facing uncertainty after being notified by email Friday that the crab and groundfish plants in the community will not be operating this year.

The notice told employees it was "not feasible" to re-open the plants in light of the shrinking resource.

Plant worker Tina Coleman told CBCNews she was "heartbroken" by the news.

The idlingof the plant does not mean that employees are out of options.

Employees have been offered work at processing plants in New Brunswick that are being managed by the Daleys, and sources says several dozen are expected to accept the offer of seasonal work.

Some have also found work at the fish plant in Southern Harbour,PlacentiaBay, sources say.

Daley Bros. owner Terry Daley declined comment.

Fisheries department seeking answers

The provincial Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources Gerry Byrne said Monday morning his department has not been notified of any changes to operations at the property, and he's not happy about that.

"I am deeply disturbed by this company's decision not to have informed my department or my office of this decision prior to or at least coincidental to the decision being made so that we could have been better prepared," Byrne wrote in a statement Monday to CBC News.

"While this is a provincial holiday, many employees of the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources have voluntarily gone back into work today to begin a response plan."

Employees had been expressing concern that equipment at the plant was not being prepared for operations to resume, and that they had not received calls to return to work.

Daley Bros. purchased the plant from the Woodman family about six years ago, marking the first time in four generations a Woodman was not at the helm of a fish processing company in the community.

It's not known exactly how many people are affected by the closure.

One New Harbour resident said the plant was no longer the economic heart of the community, that the workforce was aging, and the next generation was not interested in seasonal work at the plants.