Copano Blues Shrimp: The Future of Shrimp Have you ever tried

JANUARY 2016
Copano Blues Shrimp: The Future of Shrimp
Have you ever tried Copano Blues Shrimp? If you love your shrimp firm and with a clean, sweet flavor, you'll
love Copano Blues.
These shrimp are farmed using innovative hi-tech farming methods that make them superior to other farmed
shrimp, and could even give them the edge over wild shrimp.
High-Tech Shrimp Farming Solution
The shrimp are grown on a farm in Taft, Texas, which is located on Copano Bay. The bay provides fresh water
for the farm, and it acts as a nursery area for wild gulf whites and gulf browns. That makes it absolutely ideal for
growing shrimp.
The farm is known as a "closed loop Recirculating Aquaculture System," or an RAS for short. That might sound
complex, but what it means is every single aspect of the environment is carefully controlled.
Controlling the water quality is the secret if you want to achieve the best health possible for the shrimp. These
shrimp (called Litopenaeus vannamei) just love warm water. However, if the water is too warm, it will kill them.
And if the water is too cold, the shrimp will grow too slowly. So at the Copano Blues farm the water temperature
is controlled to make sure it is absolutely perfect. It keeps the shrimp healthy, and helps them to grow faster.
Fast-Growing Shrimp
How fast do these shrimp grow? Let's compare it to a traditional shrimp farm.
A standard farm in somewhere like Ecuador will grow 26-30ct tails, and it will take anywhere from 30 to 36
weeks. But Copano Blues are different. These are grown to U-15ct and 16-20ct tails, and it only takes about 20 to
22 weeks.
That is a massive 30 percent faster—and the shrimp are nearly twice the size!
Superior Farming Features
The hi-tech facility also has other features that make it superior, including bio-security, great nutrition, premium
water quality, non-GMO genetics, and a recirculating, zero-discharge system.
What exactly is bio-security? This is all about disease control. There are no open ponds in the Copano Blues farm,
and rigid air domes nearly the size of four football fields in length cover every aspect of the complex from the
hatchery to the production ponds.
By making use of positive air pressure, air-born diseases are kept out, keeping the shrimp safe.
Capable of Producing Huge Quantities
The facility produces a huge amount of shrimp. Each dome produces hundreds of thousands of pounds of shrimp,
so the amount of pounds produced in the area compares favorably to other options. For example, in one acre of
land, you can produce:
45 lbs of beef
273 lbs of soy protein
1,000 lbs of shrimp in a traditional farm
But the Copano Blues farm produces over 20,000 lbs of protein per acre, which is a huge increase.
In fact, cocktail sauce on the same plate should be made illegal!
These shrimp have an awesome flavor all on their own—so now it's time to try them out for yourself.
Advanced Waste Control
The farm uses indoor ponds that are lined with plastic liners, unlike normal shrimp farms. It also has a drainage
system to remove the waste that the shrimp produce. To get an idea of just how much waste is produced, let's
look at a traditional shrimp pond.
These are usually eight feet deep at the start, but when the shrimp are harvested, they are only six or seven feet
deep. The one to two feet at the bottom are taken up with shrimp droppings, shells, and uneaten food. But on the
Copano Blues farm, all of this waste is removed.
The Benefits of Natural Biofloc
The ponds at the Copano Blues farm also use natural biofloc to keep the water quality high and improve nutrition.
The shrimp feed on pro-biotic biofloc, and this helps to clean the water. The biofloc contains natural bacterium
that break down toxic ammonia and nitrates and convert them into nitrogen gas, which is harmless.
At the moment, Copano Blues farm is focused on shrimp. But this same advanced technology could be used for
other fish too. In fact, Global Blue Technologies, which is the parent company, is building a research and development facility to work out how it can use the same system for various fish species.
It is planning to grow live sable fish at the Copano Bay facility by mid-2016. So you could soon be eating fresh
sable fish from south Texas!
IN SEASON
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Congressional Seafood Co.
January 2016 Newsletter
Produced by KSM Marketing
Contributing Writers: Tim Sughrue, David Fye
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Albacore Tuna
Amberjack
Baramundi
Black Bass, RI
Black Bass, VA
Blue Catfish, VA
Catfish
Cod, East Coast
Cod, West Coast
Crab, Venezuela
Crab, Dungeness
Fluke, Carolina
Grouper, Gulf of Mexico
Halibut, East Coast
John Dory, Domestic
Mahi, South America
Monk
Oysters, Chesapeake
Pollock
Razor Clams
Sea Bass, Chilean
Shrimp, Gulf
Snapper
Stone Crab Claws
Striped Bass (Rockfish)
Sword, Domestic
Tilapia
Tuna (Yellowfin)
SHRIMP WITH TOMATOES AND FETA
SERVES 4
Recipe from David Fye
Congressional Seafood Co. Corporate Chef
The Copano Blue Shrimp is a perfect shrimp for this recipe.
The natural sweet flavor of this domestically farm raised
shrimp complements the ingredients.
Ingredients:
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4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 scallions, minced
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1
⁄2 cup white wine
1 tsp. dried oregano
1
⁄2 tsp. sugar
1
⁄4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
4 medium tomatoes, grated
3 tbsp. chopped fresh mint
16 large shrimp (about ¾ lb.), peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 oz. feta
1 lemon, halved
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
Instructions:
Arrange a rack 4" from heating element; heat oven to broil. Heat oil in a 10" skillet over medium
heat. Add garlic and scallions; cook, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook for 2
minutes. Add wine; cook until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add oregano, sugar, chile flakes, and tomatoes; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, 12 minutes. Stir in mint and shrimp, season with salt and pepper; crumble feta over top. Broil until bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Squeeze lemon over top. Garnish
with parsley.
The Great Wicomico Oyster
Company
From the “Napa Valley of Oysters”
The Chesapeake Bay
What makes Great Wicomico different?: We are the Greenest
Oyster farm on the Chesapeake. We are focused on sustainability in both our oysters and in
our home brewed Biodiesel we run in our equipment.
 We not only strike and raise Triploid oysters for summer harvest from larvae, we also
strike and raise Diploid (breeding) oysters that breed genetically improved (not GMO)
genes into the bay. While this makes farm and crop management a bit of a challenge, we believe it is worth the effort to introduce better breeding stock to the Chesapeake Bay.
 Our oyster barge and land equipment are 100% biodiesel/electric hybrid or electric
powered. Our biodiesel is made from local restaurants’ used fryer oil, so we are removing
waste from the waste stream and replacing a fossil fuel lowering greenhouse emissions.
Barrett Cove Oysters – Our flagship oyster. We’ve known these oysters since they were set on
cultch as Larvae! Aquaculture raised on the Great Wicomico, these oysters have the perfect
balance of salinity and creamy finish with a delicate and inviting minerality.
Our full and delicate meats are presented within a deep white shell. These make the perfect
half shell oyster!
Featuring the NEW “Dock to Door in 24”
(Order your oysters by 9AM and get them to your door FRESH within 24 hours)
BARRETT COVE OYSTERS
$48 / 100 CT. BAG
CHESAPEAKE WILD BLUE CATFISH
The wild blue catfish has a "green" sustainable rating
from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch
List. Wild blue cats are an invasive species in the
Chesapeake Bay. Native to the Ohio and Mississippi
River basins, introduced into the James River in the late
70's, their population has exploded to an estimated 90 million fish! They are top of the
food chain predators in the Bay devouring many native species like blue crabs, rockfish,
menhaden and herring. With a diet like this the blue cat produces a delicious white flaky
fillet. Eat'em to beat'em is our motto and we need you to help save our native species in
the Chesapeake Bay.
LOOK FOR US
AT BOOTHS
#620—621
CALENDAR
2016
JANUARY
National New England
Clam Chowder Day
January 21
Winter Restaurant Week
January 25—31
FEBRUARY
Name of Employee:
Luis Eduardo Ordonez
Year of Hire:
Groundhog Day
Tuesday, February 2
Super Bowl
Sunday, February 7
2013
Mardis Gras
Tuesday, February 9
Role at Congressional:
Driver Manager
Ash Wednesday
Wednesday, February 10
Favorite Sports Team:
Real Madrid C.F.
Valentine’s Day
Sunday, February 14
Dream vacation:
Hawaii
Presidents Day/GRAMMYS
Monday, February 15
Academy Awards
Sunday, February 28
Coming Up in March:
Ocean City Trade Expo
March 6-7
Seafood Expo Northwest
March 6-8