NOVATON is installing the first land-based shrimp farm for sustainable aquaculture in the North African country.
As the demand for seafood continues to rise, so does the need for more sustainable and efficient methods of aquaculture. One company at the forefront of this movement is NOVATON. It has developed a unique closed system for shrimp farming that not only saves resources but also produces high-quality, natural shrimp without the use of chemicals or pollution. Moreover, the Swiss company is marking an important milestone by setting up Morocco's first land-based, closed-system shrimp farm.
Why Morocco?
The North African country was selected as the location for the farm for several reasons. Traditionally, Morocco has very good export dynamics for its agricultural products. It is geographically and economically close to the European markets and has good logistics with North America. In addition, the country offers a well-educated workforce.
According to NOVATON, the installation is progressing as planned. The farm's land was prepared in November 2022, and the structure and systems are currently being assembled for completion in the first quarter of 2023. The company will start the first cultivation cycle immediately after. So, if everything goes as expected, the farm will begin commercial production of shrimp in the spring of 2023.
Complications for the industry
The current complication with traditional shrimp farms worldwide is due to the toxic pollution produced and dumped into nature, as well as the necessity to use chemicals and medicine to prevent mortal diseases from attacking crops recurrently. Other consequences are the vast volumes of water wasted in traditional farms and the need to use very large land surfaces as well.
In addition, traditional open-pond shrimp farming is under the hammer of regulators worldwide due to its toxic impact on the environment and so, the health of consumers. "Such old-school farming will not survive much longer in the years ahead", NOVATON tells WeAreAquaculture. "The only option for shrimp farming to survive and develop successfully in the future is to adopt truly sustainable farming technologies".
Next-generation shrimp farming?
The closed-system developed by NOVATON is designed to be sustainable and environmentally friendly, using less water, energy, and land while producing chemical-free shrimp without any toxic waste. The system utilizes smart technology and does not require the complex mechanical equipment of traditional RAS systems, thus reducing costs.
"New generation shrimp farms should be cost-effective, economic in using water, energy and land surface, without dumping toxic pollution into nature", they say. "The resulting crops must be free of chemicals and healthy to the consumers".
About NOVATON
NOVATON specializes in constructing and managing state-of-the-art, eco-friendly aquaculture farms utilizing advanced clean technologies. The company then distributes the clean, chemical-free seafood produced by these farms, which is rich in natural omegas and proteins, to markets around the world.