Aqua-Spark announces investment in Brazil-based tilapia farm

Aqua-Spark, founded in 2014 as the first investment fund focused on sustainable aquaculture, has announced an investment in Fisher Piscicultura, a Brazil-based tilapia farm. 

In a press release, Aqua-Spark cited Fisher’s “optimal farming location” and innovative cage systems, coupled with an experienced team, as drivers of the investment. Aqua-Spark is a primary investor in the company’s latest round of funding, and will help expand production capacity from 50 to 300 metric tons per month. 

“Aquaculture is booming in Brazil, and we've been keen to help the Brazilian sector develop sustainably--especially where Tilapia is concerned,” Mike Velings and Amy Novogratz, co-founders of Aqua-Spark, said in the release.  “Tilapia farming has been in practice for thousands of years, and the species is one of the most consumed fish in the world. Because Tilapia is so well-known and naturally suited to aquaculture – when farms choose to get it right – it can be truly sustainably produced. As our second investment in Tilapia, Fisher impressed us with its commitment to creating the best possible operation for fish and their local community."

Fisher, which was founded in 2011, has created a new cage system with integrated automatic feeders and efficient grading systems. The cages, built from aluminum, use recycled PET bottles for buoyancy and contribute to lower labor costs. 

“Brazil hasall the requirements needed to become a world leader in aquaculture–water, feed ingredients, proper climate, and a large internal market,” Alexandre Pulino, co-founder of Fisher, said.  “To make the best of our local conditions, we need to develop our own technology package as we did for other agro industries. With the help of Aqua-Spark, we believe that in the near future our cage in combination with integrated producers’ systems can become the leading technology of the Brazilian sector.”

Photo courtesy of Fisher Piscicultura.

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