March 2015

Well, March 2015 is history

It has been a busy month. 

Stephen and Lee had a very productive trip to Japan and Taiwan.

After several meetings and a close look at cash flows we have decided to start the bid process and begin to build modules 3 and 4 here at Taft with actual construction starting (hopefully) in May.

The objective is to have 4 production modules growing shrimp by fall. With a bit of luck and some help from the weather I think this is an achievable objective.

It will be a watershed moment for the company as once we have 4 modules, stocked, and producing shrimp the Taft operation is totally economically sustainable. And then in 2016 we will start to look at serious expansion beyond 4 modules. Exciting times.

Below is a great picture shot by one of the team of one of our production domes at night reflecting off of the water. Very surreal and almost otherworldly. 

Also, after much discussion and number crunching we are starting the preliminary work to begin research and development on several species of premium, high value, fin fish which we believe we can grow in significant quantities using our technology or at least technology that is derivative of our shrimp technology.

The ability to grow fin fish in a sustainable, bio-secure, environmentally friendly fashion, puts a long time dream of mine in range of becoming a reality. 

According to several studies and institutions despite the growth of aquaculture the past decade still less than 4% of marine fish (which are heavily in demand for food consumption) comes from aquaculture. 

You have heard my rants against net pens and open water ponds for aquaculture. 

You know I am not a big fan of tilapia and barramundi (an Asian sea bass) and sturgeon and catfish as far as candidates for feeding the world. 

Today, in our developmental meeting, we actually selected the first two species we hope to start R&D on in early 2016 and I am very excited about both species. 

I think we can be a game changer for the oceans over the next decade and beyond. 

On a personal note I sold the Lakewood house where Lori fought her last battles against cancer. 

On a more cheerful note Sara, my executive assistant, while I was in Maryland captured a short video of this visitor, a young dolphin,  swimming through my lights in the canal off my deck. 

(I have no idea if video works on this blog site but I am posting it and hopefully it will run for you. It is only a few seconds but it is very cool).

So, a lot of things happened in March. 

We had very lousy weather here in Texas, as did most of the USA, but that looks to finally be over. 

I think April is going to be a very productive month and I am looking forward to a real spring and summer season.

As this March closes I will leave you with the following quote from Lewis Carroll. 

"One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others." (Lewis Carroll)

If he includes animals and the earth amongst "others" then this quote expresses the core of my belief system.