The company was consulting with its Kaeo employees, government agencies and Northland community leaders in a bid to find work for those who were losing their jobs.
"We are already putting in place a job search programme, contacting major employers in the Northland area in case of any vacancies appropriate for any of our team," Mr Barratt said.
"We are also asking all Sanford plants and fleet operations to identify any vacancies throughout the group."
Te Runanga o Whaingaroa has been a mainstay of the Kaeo community during hard times such as floods. Chief executive Terry Smith was in the South Island when the Advocate called yesterday, but Stephen Rush, who deals with the runanga's environmental issues, said the loss of oyster processing jobs was a big hit for the town.
"They keep us in the dark about this sort of thing so all we can do is react when it happens," he said.
"Now we have got to sort something out to deal with this situation."
Labour Party list MP and fisheries spokesman Shane Jones said he had attended the opening of the oyster processing factory with Helen Clark and Dover Samuels about a decade ago.
"It's a virtual tragedy they've had to close it down because of disease hitting the oysters. It's a reminder of how fragile the seafood industry is," Mr Jones said.
He gave Sanford top marks for being a good corporate citizen and searching for work elsewhere for those who lost their jobs.
"It's a timely reminder to funders of science and captains of industry that we must apply the funds and talents we have to ensuring future aquaculture possibilities and jobs," Mr Jones said.
"If you can't keep your underlying stock alive it's an indictment on us in terms of our ambitions to be world leading food processors."
Mr Jones also said Maoridom needed to take more responsibility for funding, maintaining and expanding aquaculture.
But with a reminder about the oyster virus and and a warning about not having all your eggs in the same basket, he said: "There's no point having a 20 per cent stake of available aquaculture space if it is all confined to a single species."