P.E.I. shellfish companies get over $700K for new equipment

Eight P.E.I. shellfish companies are getting some government helpto the tune of more than $700,000.

The money will be shared between the companiesand is coming their way through the Atlantic Fisheries Fund.

The funding is for new equipment for shellfish growers and processing companiesto helpexpand their operations.

'Very labour intensive'

One of the companies benefiting from the funding is Prince Edward Aqua Farms, which has purchased a new automated oyster grading machine.

"We do mussels year-roundand now with the oysters we want to start doing that product year round," said general manager Jerry Bidgood.

"But it's very labour intensive, and we're always struggling to get enough employees. So we're hoping this automated piece of equipment takes some of that slack off and allows us to keep expanding."

Bidgood says the machine his company purchasedwill do the work of eight to 10employees.

Seventy per cent of the funding is from the federal government. The province is covering the rest.

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With files from Steve Bruce