The provincial fisheries minister says the loss of the fish plant in St. Mary’s is devastating.

The plant, which was still processing only a day or two before last week’s fire, employed about 350 people during peak production.

Minister Loyola O’Driscoll says government is willing to do what it can to maintain the company’s presence in the region.

He repeated the Premier’s promise to work with the federal government to extend EI benefits for affected workers.

As for the status of the plant’s hard-fought crab license, O’Driscoll says that’s something he’ll have a better handle on in the weeks ahead.

He says over the next few weeks he’s hoping to sit down with officials and all parties involved “and we’ll see where we go from there.”