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FREDERICTON – Despite unemployment rates hovering near double-digit territory, some New Brunswick lobster plants were so short-staffed last year that thousands of kilograms of lobster had to be thrown out.

New Brunswick Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet said Wednesday he knows of one plant that had to discard about 1,360 kilograms of lobster because they couldn’t find enough staff to process the crustaceans.

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“I’m seeing companies having to throw away product because they just don’t have the manpower to process at peak times,” said Doucet.

“We have companies that have been holding back on major expansion plans because they don’t have the people to fill the spaces.”

He said it’s also disappointing to see some companies having to send lobster to neighbouring Maine to be processed.

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— One plant had to dispose of more than 1,300 kilograms – about 3,000 pounds – of lobster because of staffing shortages.