Health
|
• All shrimp used in our operations are specific pathogen free (SPF), which means they are certified free of the OIE notifiable list of viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Not only are our breeding center and hatchery certified SPF, but also the farm. This is unique. Very few farms in the world are certified SPF. By using only SPF shrimp and SPF facilities, we eliminate the need for antibiotics and other therapeutants.
|
|
• Strict biosecurity is maintained at the breeding center, hatchery, and farm to avoid introduction of disease by water, feed, personnel, birds, vehicles, or other vectors.
|
|
• The Hawaii Department of Agriculture veterinarian maintains a rigorous disease surveillance program at our facilities as a requirement for shipment of brood stock to shrimp hatcheries around the world. Samples are collected and analyzed by third party labs on approximately a weekly basis.
|
Breeding
|
• Our operation includes a family-based selective breeding program using SPF stocks of Pacific white shrimp. (This is conventional breeding — not GMO).
|
|
• In-house breeding eliminates reliance on collection of wild adults for spawning. This, in turn, eliminates the issues of trawling, by catch, forced labor on fishing vessels, etc. In-house breeding also assures continuous improvement in performance without compromises in quality of the final product.
|
Hatchery
|
• The hatchery uses only in-house SPF brood stock and frozen or dry feeds from bio-secure sources. No live feeds are used.
|
|
• Seawater is drawn from wells and disposed of through percolation ponds. No water is drawn from or returned to the sea.
|
|
• An in-house algologist maintains and continually improves the stocks of unicellular algae used as the first feed for larval shrimp. This improves animal health and nutrition.
|
|
• No antibiotics or therapeutants are used in the hatchery.
|
Farm
|
• The farm was constructed on former sugarcane property which is at least 1 km from the beach and several meters above high tide. Construction of the farm did not damage or displace mangroves or other protected habitats.
|
|
• Seawater is drawn from deep wells (>150 m), which are well below the freshwater lens and do not affect drinking water supplies. This water has a constant temperature and salinity and is free of pathogens.
|
|
• Ponds are constructed with plastic liners, round shape, a central sump, and strategically placed aerators. This hydraulically advanced design automatically collects organic waste at the center, where it is continuously pumped to the edge for recycling. This resuspension of organic solids creates a biofloc system — an aerobic water treatment and recycling system.
|
|
• Waste-water is discharged into perimeter canals where tilapia browse on the remaining plankton and solids.
|
|
• The use of biofloc, reducing systems, and tilapia greatly lighten the organic load targeted for discharge.
|
|
• Effluent from the farm is strictly monitored by a third-party laboratory according to rigorous guidelines established by EPA through the Hawaii Department of Health. The farm complies with Hawaii DOH water quality standards.
|
|
• Pumps and aerators used at the farm are powered by hydroelectric energy, which greatly reduces the carbon footprint of Kauai Shrimp. The hydroelectric power plant captures the energy of water running down from Mt. Waialeale, the central mountain of Kauai, which is one of the wettest locations on the planet.
|
Feed
|
• Our feed is produced by BAP certified feed manufacturers in the USA and is Gluten and antibiotic free.
|
Processing
|
• The processing plant is located 12 miles (20 km) from the farm. This allows harvest, transport, processing, and freezing of the shrimp within 3 hours for maximum freshness.
|
|
• Effluent from the processing plant is directed to a municipal water treatment plant to assure proper processing.
|