Cooke Aquaculture increases stake in Clearwater Seafoods to 19.76 per cent

<p>SAINT JOHN, N.B. – Cooke Aquaculture Inc. said Wednesday it has signed a deal to more than double its stake in Clearwater Seafoods Income Fund (TSX:CLR.UN) to 19.76 per cent.</p> <p>The New Brunswick-based private salmon farming company with operations in Canada, Maine and Chile, said Wednesday it has agreed to buy 2.9 million Clearwater trust units. It is paying $1.85 each in a private deal worth about $5.4 million.</p> <p>The deal brings its stake in Clearwater to about 5.5 million units.</p> <p>Cooke said it bought the units for investment purposes.</p> <p>Clearwater has 1,600 employees, about 20 vessels, seven plants and offices in Toronto, Europe, China, Japan, Europe and the United States.</p> <p>Units in the fund were up a nickel at $1.50 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday.</p>