Stench from shell drying facility in N.B. ‘screws up’ life, residents say

Residents of a small New Brunswick town say they have had enough of the bad smell allegedly coming from a local facility that processes crab, lobster and shrimp.

Residents of a small New Brunswick town say an unbearable “stench” coming from a shell drying company is impacting their lives.

Richibucto, a coastal town on the eastern side of the province, has a population of about 1,400. Six years ago, it also became home to Coastal Shell Products — a facility that processes crab, lobster and shrimp.

Since then, residents say the smell of burning seafood has overwhelmed the town. They say if the wind blows in a certain direction, it carries the smell for kilometres.

“It’s affecting our daily lives,” said resident JoAnne Robichaud.

“We can’t go out and barbecue. Working outside in the yard … you have to be stubborn to be able to do it, because it could make you vomit.”

Robichaud describes the smell as burnt, rotten seafood, though she said it’s much worse than it sounds.

The company describes itself as “an established ‘state of the art’ crustacean shell drying facility,” on its website.

Its 2800-square-metre facility is located about half a kilometre from École Soleil Levant, the community’s elementary school. It’s also close to a recreation centre and a seniors’ home.