Paturel to rebuild Deer Island plant destroyed by fire, says minister

ThePaturel lobster plant that burned to the ground on Deer Island will be rebuilt, says RickDoucet, the minister of aquaculture and fisheries.

Doucet said he got the news fromthe CEO ofEast Coast Seafood Inc., which ownsPaturelInternational.

The processing and packaging plant was destroyed by a fire that was spotted earlyThursday morning by employees.

• 'Totally devastating': Fire destroys Paturel lobster plant on Deer Island

Doucet, who is also the MLA for the Bay of Fundyisland, told CBC News that the CEO said the company will be making the plant "better and more efficient."

"The message I got today was, mumber one, 'We want to take care of our employees, we don't want our employees to be concerned about their future' and number two, 'What we're going to do is going to be better than what we had before,'" Doucet said of his conversation with East Coast Seafood.

"That was pretty nice to hear, especially after yesterday. I think we were all in shock and disbelief as to what transpired in the small community. but there's light at the end of the tunnel."

More than 100 people are employed at the plant, which processes and packages lobster. Many, includingPaul Richardson,were worried Thursday about the loss of work and what the company would do after the fire.

"The employment opportunities in this area, and particularly on the island are very, very few, so there's a great deal of concern in that respect," Richardson said.

But Doucet said East Coast Seafood knows it has a good and dedicated workforce, and the company likes being in the community of Deer Island.

Investigation continues

General manager Stuart McKay told CBCNews thatPaturelwas working Friday to come up with plans for employees and customers. The company will speak with its foreign workers Saturday, he said.

RimaAlmazan, one of the foreign workers waiting to hear what will happen, said she workedher last shift Wednesday and has been sad and anxious since the fire.

"Our hopes are gone now, but we will recover and we know our company will help us,"Almazansaid. "We are really nervous."

ChristinaFerranti-Clift, the marketing directorof the Boston-based East Coast Seafood,has said that lobster processing that was supposed to be done on Deer Island will be moved to one of the company's 12 plants across North America so commitments made to customers can be fulfilled.

Meanwhile, the investigation into what caused the fire continued at the site on Friday.

The company'slobster tank houseon the other side of the island burned down in September, and the cause was never determined.