NaturalShrimp Inc. has taken over the assets of Alder Aqua (formerly Vero Blue Farms). This is a positive development for Webster City and will bring many good-paying jobs to the community. It also repurposes existing industrial properties so that they are back on the tax rolls.

The facilities will use city utilities and bring other economic benefits to the community.

The proprietary technology used in their production process cleans and recirculates wastewater, which means less wear and tear on city infrastructure.

The publicly traded Texas-based company expects to produce thousands of pounds of shrimp each week once the facility goes to full production capacity in the first half of 2021.

A subsidiary, Natural Aquatic Systems, adapts the company’s technology to other species of fish and shellfish.

They anticipate being able to provide products to the entire Midwest from this one plant. The Webster City plant will be the second production facility for the company. The other one is located in La Coste, Texas.

The market for shrimp in the US alone is 1.7 billion pounds, making it by far the most popular seafood. Aquaculture like NaturalShrimp’s is better for the environment as it does not require the high levels of antibiotics and other chemicals required for farmed shrimp, nor does it create the environmental impacts of trawling.

The Daily Freeman-Journal welcomes the latest addition to the city’s employers and wishes them every success. We hope that once the factory is up and running, that Webster City will be able to add shrimp production to the list of quality products for which the city is known.