P.E.I. shellfish companies get over $700K for new equipment
Money will be shared between companies and provided through the Atlantic Fisheries Fund
Eight P.E.I. shellfish companies are getting some government help to the tune of more than $700,000.
The money will be shared between the companies and is coming their way through the Atlantic Fisheries Fund.
The funding is for new equipment for shellfish growers and processing companies to help expand their operations.
'Very labour intensive'
One of the companies benefiting from the funding is Prince Edward Aqua Farms, which has purchased a new automated oyster grading machine.
"We do mussels year-round and now with the oysters … we want to start doing that product year round," said general manager Jerry Bidgood.
"But it's very labour intensive, and we're always struggling to get enough employees. So we're hoping this automated piece of equipment takes some of that slack off and allows us to keep expanding."
Bidgood says the machine his company purchased will do the work of eight to 10 employees.
Seventy per cent of the funding is from the federal government. The province is covering the rest.
More P.E.I. news
With files from Steve Bruce