It’s another blow to the city of Prince Rupert and the commercial fishing sector. JS McMillan Fisheries has announced that it plans to close down its North Coast fish processing facility later this year which will mean the loss of 80 full time jobs in Prince Rupert.

The company blames low prices and depressed fish numbers for the decision to shut down.

Fishing industry union representative Joy Thorkelson says the loss of the plant is a sad thing for Prince Rupert and will have a large impact on the community. Thorkelson adds that it’s a year-round operation which provides steady employment and is the only ground fish processing facility north of Vancouver Island

Thorkelson says the operation is also home to the only large cold storage facility and reduction plant on the North Coast, making it extremely important to all processing operations in Prince Rupert.