Ocean Choice International is donating $200,000 into the province’s Community Enhancement Program, a move designed to help struggling fish planters in Port Union who had their plant severely damaged during hurricane Igor. The program is designed to aid rural workers who suddenly find themselves out of work. Normally the program offers community project work at $10 an hour up to a maximum of 420 hour, but with the money from OCI the program will offer $10 an hour for up to 560 hours of work. At these rates a person receiving employment insurance will earn $220 a week, up from $165 a week under the normal program. The company will also fund a daily bus program for employees from Port Union to work in Clarenville. In addition, Jackman reported OCI has reached an agreement with the Barry Group shrimp plant in Clarenville to process its product. Meanwhile OCI says that repairs to the plant in Port Union will cost millions of dollars, and the company has not decided whether or not to move ahead with them.
