The first of the 28 Fishermen's Unions to be formed on Prince Edward Island was Tignish Station #1. It was incorporated under "An Act to Provide for the Organization of Fishermen's Unions" in 1925. The organization was not a trade union but more of a mutual society, with members pooling resources in buying supplies and marketing their catch. The Union even had a password to prevent infiltration of non-members.

In 1925 some of the members bought a small lobster factory and six boats, and formed a joint-stock company which was incorporated as the Tignish Fisheries Ltd. They hired Tignish lawyer Chester McCarthy, who had a background in the fisheries, to manage the business. Membership in the company was restricted to men who owned their own boats and gear and could purchase a 200 dollar share. Packing and marketing their own product meant a much better price for the fishermen than they could get from the private companies. By 1926 the plant was employing 28 women and 12 men and paying a 7% dividend to its members.

In 1959 the name was changed to the Tignish Fisheries Co-operative Association Ltd. In 1995 the Royal Star Foods plant was built. The plant is a large facility which employs approximately 400 people and processes various seafood products.

For more information see: Marian Bruce and Elizabeth Cran's "Working Together: Two Centuries of Co-operation on Prince Edward Island", Island Studies Press, 2004.