NaturalShrimp Incorporated is a global shrimp farming and biotechnology company
that has developed a technology to produce shrimp in an indoor, re-circulating,
saltwater facility. Our eco-friendly, bio-secure design does not rely on ocean
water; it recreates the natural ocean environment allowing for high-density
production which can be replicated anywhere in the world.
Our self-contained shrimp aquiculture system allows for the production of Pacific
White (Litopenaeus vannamei, formerly Penaeus vannamei) shrimp in an ecologically
controlled fully contained and independent production system without the use
of antibiotics or toxic chemicals.
The Company has developed several proprietary technology assets, including
a knowledge base that allows the production of commercial quantities of shrimp
in a closed system with a computer monitoring system that automates, monitors
and maintains proper levels of oxygen, salinity and temperature for optimal
shrimp production.
Our research and development facilities are located outside of San Antonio,
Texas, and we hold a minority interest in a Norwegian company that owns and
operates a similar shrimp production facility in Medina del Campo, Spain.
Historically, efforts to raise shrimp in a high-density, closed system at the
commercial level have been met with either modest success or outright failure
through “BioFloc Technology”. Infectious agents such as parasites,
bacteria and viruses are the most damaging and most difficult to control. Bacterial
infection can in some cases be combated through the use of antibiotics (although
not always), and in general the use of antibiotics is considered undesirable and
counter to “green” cultivation practices. Viruses can be even worse
in that they are immune to antibiotics. Once introduced to a shrimp population,
viruses can wipe out entire farms and shrimp populations, even with intense probiotic
applications.
Our primary solution against infectious agents is our “Vibrio Suppression
Technology”. We believe this system creates higher sustainable densities,
consistent production, improved growth and survival rates and improved food
conversion without the use of antibiotics, probiotics or unhealthy anti-microbial
chemicals. Vibrio Suppression Technology helps to exclude and suppress harmful
organisms that usually destroy “BioFloc” and other enclosed technologies.
Automated Monitoring and Control System
The Company’s “Automated Monitoring and Control System” uses
individual tank monitors to automatically control the feeding, oxygenation,
and temperature of each of the facility tanks independently. In addition, a
facility computer running custom software communicates with each of the controllers
and performs additional data acquisition functions that can report back to a
supervisory computer from anywhere in the world. These computer automated water
controls optimize the growing conditions for the shrimp as they mature to harvest
size, providing a disease-resistant production environment.
The principle theories behind the the Company’s system are characterized
as:
High-density shrimp production
Weekly production
Natural ecology system
Regional production
Regional distribution
These principles form the foundation for the Company and our potential distributors
so that consumers can be provided with continuous volumes of live and fresh
shrimp at competitive prices.
In 2001, the Company began research and development (R&D) of a high density,
natural aquaculture system that is not dependent on ocean water to provide quality,
fresh shrimp every week, fifty-two weeks a year. The initial NaturalShrimp system
was successful but the Company determined that it would not be economically
feasible due to high operating costs. Over the next several years, using the
knowledge we gained from the first R&D system, we developed a shrimp production
system that eliminated the high costs associated with the previous system. We
have continued to refine this technology, eliminating bacterial and other problems
that affect enclosed systems and now have a successful shrimp growing process.
We have produced thousands of pounds of shrimp over the last few years in order
to develop a design that will consistently produce quality shrimp that grow
to a large size at a specific rate of growth. This included experimenting with
various types of natural live and synthesized feed supplies before selecting
the most appropriate nutritious and reliable combination. It also included utilizing
monitoring and control automation equipment to minimize labor costs and to provide
the necessary oversight for proper regulation of the shrimp environment.
After the implementation of the first R&D facility in La Coste, Texas,
the Company has also made significant improvements that minimize the transfer
of shrimp, which will reduce shrimp stress and labor costs. Our current system
consists of a reception tank where the shrimp are acclimated, then moved to
a larger grow-out tank for the rest of the twenty-week cycle.