Aquaculture for all

Contract awarded for Qatari shrimp farm

Shrimp Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) +3 more

The contract for a farm in Qatar that has ambitions to produce up to 100,000 tonnes of shrimp a year has been awarded to ITQAN and Global Blue Technologies.

The first phase of the multi-million dollar project will include establishing a hatchery and modules capable of producing 3,000 tonnes of shrimp per year, as well as a broodstock multiplication centre with the capacity to raise 300,000 broodstock. Expansion goals include increasing shrimp production to 100,000 tonnes over the next four to five years.

Global Blue Technologies specialises in the design and build of recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs), and the project will be managed by Lorenzo Juarez, Eduardo Figueras and Thomas James.

According to a press release issued by the company this week, Juarez’ 38 years in aquaculture ranges from genetics, hatchery and grow-out operations for shrimp and fish. He is a past president and a fellow of the World Aquaculture Society and served as deputy director of NOAA’s Office of Aquaculture. Figueras’ expertise covers all aspects of hatchery, nursery and breeding programme development and management in the United States, Brunei and Mexico. Meanwhile James specialises in R&D of shrimp and fish production technologies, technical training and insurance. In addition to work with GBT in the United States, he’s managed aquaculture farms in Ecuador, Mexico, Brunei and Madagascar.