Downsizing follows government’s decision to reduce fishing quota by 24% in the Bay of Fundy
BLACKS HARBOUR, New Brunswick — Connors Bros., North America’s leading supplier of canned herring, announced the layoff of over 20% of the positions at its plant in Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick. The staff reduction is a result of the Canadian Government’s Department of Fishery and Ocean’s (DFO’s) July 2024 decision to cut the total allowable herring catch for the Bay of Fundy by 24%. The government also stated that this lower allowable catch would hold for the next four years.
“We’ve been operating in this community for over 130 years, and this is a heartbreaking decision but it’s necessary to keep our plant viable moving forward,” said Chad Baum, General Manager, Connors Bros. “We were surprised and disappointed by the DFO’s decision to slash the quota by so much and by the unprecedented four-year directive.”
Baum said the company and the industry will continue to ask the DFO to reconsider its science and to re-evaluate the future quota recommendations as there is disagreement among experts on the status of the herring stock. However, he said the impact of the decision is immediate and necessitated the layoff of over 20% of the processing jobs at the plant which employs up to 450 staff depending on the season.
The company gave impacted employees a six-week working notice. Staff impacted by the layoff will be offered severance payments in proportion to tenure as well as employee assistance programs and placement services. Following the six-week notice period, the plant will continue operating with a reduced workforce.
Connors Bros., a division of Clover Leaf Seafoods Corp., supplies canned sardines under Brunswick® and other brands that are sold in more than forty countries.
