Billund, Denmark-based Billund Aquaculture and Wunstorf, Germany-based Aquapurna have joined forces with the aim of using an automated, tech-driven production model to farm shrimp in more sustainable and animal-friendly way.
Founded in 2020, Aquapurna has worked with land-based aquaculture technology and recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) specialists in joint ventures to build land-based shrimp farms.
Aquapurna CEO and Co-Founder David Gebhard said the JV with Billund will enable the JF to co-develop a cost-efficient, RAS-based system for large-scale shrimp projects to be rolled out across Europe and elsewhere.
Gebhard said, currently, shrimp farming is “one of the most, if not the most, environmentally unfriendly way” of producing seafood, and that comparing the average imported Asian shrimp to that of mass domesticated cattle in South America, the CO2 footprint of shrimp is up to 10 times worse.
“This is why we have developed a production model that does not emit pollutants or involve using antibiotics. It leaves ecosystems untouched. Ultimately, it's highly scalable and cost-effective, which puts us in pole position to transform an industry that's long overdue for change,” he said.
Gebhard said Aquapurna operates the only R&D centers in Europe dedicated solely to sustainable and cost-efficient land-based shrimp farming. Through the JV, the two firms expect to improve and develop existing practices and technologies and create a novel farming system capable of bringing real change to the industry, Gebhard said.
While the initial focus of the JV will be to supply Europe with farmed shrimp, the companies believe this new production method can be replicated worldwide, according to Billund Operations and Business Development Manager Bjarne Hald Olsen.
“The technology for land-based shrimp farming is not yet suitable for creating large-scale facilities. However, we believe that Aquapurna’s expertise in shrimp farming, combined with our experience in developing RAS for different aquaculture species, will set us on the right path to producing shrimp in a more-sustainable way in a very short time,” Olsen said.
The next steps for the JV include scaling up Aquapurna's existing Lakshmi hatchery in Germany, where it is raising broodstock and producing shrimp nauplii. The company also plans on constructing a large-scale grow-out unit with funding from Lighthouse Finance.
Photo courtesy of VasiliyBudarin/Shutterstock
