Connors Bros., a fish packing plant and one of the two major employers in Blacks Harbour, has laid off 20% of its 450 employees. The company attributes the layoffs to a reduction in the herring catch in the Bay of Fundy mandated by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The impact of these layoffs is expected to be felt across Charlotte County.

In a July release, the DFO stated, "We recognize the economic impacts this decision will have on families and communities that rely on income from fishing and processing herring. But such a decision is necessary to ensure recovery and protect the resource for future generations."

"It's a sad day here in Blacks Harbour for sure, and very upsetting to see someone lose their job," said Greg Hooper, expressing the community's sentiment. "The company had to make a real tough decision, and I'm sure it wasn't easy."

Connors Bros.' general manager, Chad Baum, acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, given the company's 130-year history in the community. Local MLA Andrea Anderson-Mason emphasized the need to focus on the affected individuals.

"If we focus too much on pointing fingers, we're going to lose track of the people that we really need to focus on. And those are the vulnerable families who are now going to bed tonight wondering what the future is going to hold, how they're going to put food on the table, how they're going to support their families," Anderson-Mason said.

She also highlighted the urgent need for industrial diversification in the region. "A diversification of the industries available for people to work in this region is desperately needed and hopes all levels of government, especially provincial, can step in to help make that happen," she added.

Baum mentioned that the company has given impacted employees a six-week working notice. Affected staff will be offered severance packages and access to an employee assistance program.

- Natalie Sturgeon, CHCO-TV NewsBreak26, Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick