NO SMALL FEAT

Shrimp is the most popular seafood in the United States, yet just a fraction of the shrimp consumed in the country is produced here. A Noxon-based company has been working for the past few years to perfect a method of growing sustainable saltwater shrimp. The effort has gone so well that the company is ready to expand.

AquaPrawnics began growing fresh, sustainable saltwater shrimp at their facility just west of Noxon in 2019. They have perfected the process and are now looking to scale their operation in a more suitable environment to raise shrimp. Raising saltwater shrimp in the landlocked state of Montana with extreme temperature changes is a challenge. AquaPrawnics will be winding down operations at the Noxon facility by the end of February and working to build a much larger facility in a southern climate, though the location has not been disclosed.

AquaPrawnics CEO Peter Wakefield said it was a

challenge to learn how to grow the shrimp. "Aquaculture is the most complicated form of agriculture," he explained, as the process is entirely under water. "The complexity of aquaculture is a little deeper." The Noxon facility's process is all sustainably done, he noted, and the pools mimic what the shrimp would eat in the wild. The process is free of bacteria, hormones and vaccines, and the environment is much more controlled than in the wild.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries department, the average American consumes 4.6 pounds of shrimp per year. NOAA reports that about 75% of shrimp harvested in the United States come from the Gulf of Mexico.

Wakefield said another challenge for the company was finding a good team. "We created jobs with new skill sets," he said of the company. Though the company has a small staff now that they are looking to scale operations, they had 11-20 employees previously. The company also formed relationships with local restaurants and grocers who used their products. Wakefield said chef Stephanie Martin at the Wayside created a tasting menu using AquaPrawnics shrimp in four different dishes, and they have sold their product to Minnie's in Thompson Falls and the Squeeze Inn in Clark Fork, Idaho, as well as Yoke's in Sandpoint.

"The idea is proven and the investors have confidence in what we've done," Wakefield said. "Because of our success here, we're ready to build the first major indoor facility shrimp farm in the country. The owners are very excited about the future of the company."

AquaPrawnics built 40-foot long tanks at the Noxon facility and the shrimp are transported through four different tanks as they grow. They stay in each tank for a month, said Wakefield, who became CEO in June 2022, then are ready to eat. "We can go egg to plate in 16 weeks." The resulting shrimp are jumbo size, meaning there are 16-20 shrimp per pound. "We take great pride in what we've done here."

Wakefield said the long-term goal of AquaPrawnics was also to get to a point where they were ready to scale the operation. He said the company looks forward to keeping a personal connection with the area, though operations will move to the southern part of the country this year. He noted that while there are no major shrimp competitors in the country, there are several smaller operations like AquaPrawnics throughout the country.

With operations winding down at AquaPrawnics, Wakefield said they are offering specials on fresh shrimp and he encourages locals to come try their product while they are still open.

"We want to thank the people of Montana for their support," Wakefield expressed. "I don't think we would have gotten to this level without it. They have embraced us."

AquaPrawnics is located at 1212 Highway 200, just west of Noxon. They are open 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Lutzke said it is best to call ahead and place orders by phone for pickup. Reach AquaPrawnics at 406-847-8755.