ocean choice international Archives

OCI defending itself; company starts swinging back at union

Published on February 17, 2012 in Daily Indygestion/Email Indygestion/Journalism by TheIndependent.ca

CBC will feature an interview this Saturday with OCI President Martin Sullivan, who by all accounts will start to hit back at the FFAW which has been hammering the company since closures of plants in Port Union and Marystown last fall. “They proposed to us that we should shut down Fortune, we should move the Fortune operations to Marystown,” Sullivan insisted to host David Cochrane. “That’s the hypocrisy of the union. They’re out in Fortune saying we want Fortune and Marystown to operate, and they’re in telling us that we should close Fortune and move it to Marystown.” Make time to watch the full interview on the CBC on Saturday at 7:30 p.m… with the story so one-sided so far, it should be interesting to hear from OCI. Source: CBC

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Loyola Sullivan accused of conflict of interest in work with OCI

Published on February 16, 2012 in Daily Indygestion/Email Indygestion/Journalism by TheIndependent.ca

Ocean Choice International is getting knocked from all directions – this time from the provincial Liberal party. The CBC has reported that the party’s fisheries critic Jim Bennett has asked the federal ethics and conflict of interest commissioner to investigate whether or not Loyola Sullivan’s employment with OCI is breaking the rules. Sullivan was Canada’s fisheries conservation ambassador until taking a job with OCI; current rules require bureaucrats sit out for a one-year cooling-off period before taking on private-sector employment which relates to their former public work. “Prior to taking this job, I did submit, to (the) conflict of interest (commissioner) last June, my job description to them,” Sullivan told the CBC. “I spoke to them on at least two occasions, and was given the go-ahead to be able to accept this employment.” OCI continues to get hammered in the public arena, and this latest accusation is a kick while…

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Enough is enough

Published on February 14, 2012 in Featured/To Each Their Own by Hans Rollmann

Anti-scab legislation? A sensible idea that’s long overdue

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OCI closes plants in Marystown, Port Union

Published on December 2, 2011 in Featured/Journalism by TheIndependent.ca

Ocean Choice International, owner and operator of seafood processing plants across the province, has announced this afternoon that it is closing its operations in Marystown and Port Union. Just last week an external audit performed by Deloitte confirmed the company’s assertion that processing yellowtail at the Marystown plant has cost the company nearly $10 million in just the past three years. A strong Canadian dollar and high fuel costs were the primary causes. Meanwhile, the shrimp processing plant in Port Union has been closed since the Fall of 2010 after severe damage was caused during Hurricane Igor. As the company cited delays in working with its insurance companies as a cause, rumours have been circulating that OCI would not reopen the plant at all. Lower shrimp quotas and availability at other Newfoundland plants have perhaps made the plant redundant. Recently Ocean Choice CEO Martin Sullivan has been very outspoken about…

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Ocean Choice suing Prince Edward Island for $19m

Published on October 13, 2011 in Daily Indygestion/Email Indygestion/Journalism by TheIndependent.ca

The Guardian is reporting the Newfoundland-based Ocean Choice International (OCI) is suing the PEI government for over $19 million; the company is accusing the government of secretly providing financial aid to its competitors, which breaks an agreement signed between the company and the province back in 2004. This is just the latest squabble between the two, as in June the government of PEI revealed it was suing OCI for $10 million alleging Ocean Choice failed to make its minimum annual payments of $750,000 in 2010 and again in 2011. Neither allegation has been proven in court. To get the full scoop and history on the rift between PEI and OCI, check out The Guardian’s article at the link below. Source: The Guardian

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