Patent issued for indoor recirculating aquaculture system

NaturalShrimp, F&T Water Solutions currently entertaining possible joint ventures and/or licensing candidates for indoor aquaculture systems of many seafood species.

NaturalShrimp Inc. announced that it and F&T Water Solutions LLC have received U.S. Patent No. 10,163,199 B2 for the "Recirculating Aquaculture System & Treatment Method for Aquatic Species," developed for the first commercially viable system for growing aquatic species indoors.

NaturalShrimp said it maintains the exclusive worldwide rights for all shrimp species utilizing this patent, dated Dec. 25, 2018.

NaturalShrimp and F&T co-developed the Vibrio Suppression Technology system, which eliminates water-borne bacteria and other harmful organisms and allows the shrimp to grow and thrive in an indoor, all-natural environment that can be replicated anywhere in the world, according to the announcement.

The abstract on the first page of the new patent states that NaturalShrimp has developed “a recirculating aquaculture system [that] automatically controls ammonia, bacteria, solids and feed quantity available to a captive species in a closed, water-based habitat.”

Shrimp is the single most consumed seafood in the world. Current methods to grow and harvest shrimp are considered ecologically harmful, unsafe and unsustainable. “We have accomplished a revolution in growing the world’s most popular seafood,” NaturalShrimp chairman and chief executive officer Bill G. Williams said.

“The capability to sustainably harvest indoor farm-raised shrimp and other aquatic species for consumption to any city, regardless of location to water, will increase fresh food supplies with locally grown products,” added Peter Letizia, CEO of F&T Water Solutions.

Subsequently, NaturalShrimp said the joint patent is not only for shrimp — which the company is near bringing to market — but for the propagation of all fish.

The patent also covers aquatic arthropods, including lobster and mollusks such as oysters and clams.

“Our initial focus is bringing shrimp to market by replicating our indoor technology in regional production centers outside New York City, Chicago [Ill.] and Las Vegas [Nev.]. It is very important for our investors to know the broad implications of the patent we received,” Williams said.

“Consumers are now living a healthier lifestyle by eating fresh, chemically free products. The use of this technology as a water treatment delivers on this trend and acts as an antioxidant, increasing the overall health benefits,” Letizia added.

The companies, through their Natural Aquatic Systems subsidiary, are currently entertaining possible joint ventures and/or licensing candidates for indoor systems of many species, including barramundi and salmon, according to the announcement.

NaturalShrimp is a publicly traded company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with production facilities located near San Antonio, Texas. The company has developed the first commercially viable system for growing shrimp in enclosed saltwater systems using patented technology to produce fresh, never frozen, naturally grown shrimp without the use of antibiotics or toxic chemicals. NaturalShrimp systems can be located anywhere in the world to produce gourmet-grade Pacific white shrimp.