The shrimp tank system; photo by Joe Cerwinske

Sedna Warehousing in Sigourney is about to be home to thousands of small crustaceans as they begin an enterprise in the shrimp industry. Marc Bretz, along with his partners Bill Thomasson and Craig Meacham, has been working on indoor shrimp farming tanks for the past 18 months, and in just one more month they will be ready to begin production. According to Bretz, if things aren’t done precisely in the complex process, it can lead to a low survival rate for the shrimp. Survival rate is paramount for successful shrimp production, as Bretz explains, “It does seem like 50% is kind of a threshold on the break even, so we need to get over 50%. Our target is 70% to make it an economically viable business.” Things that contribute to low survival rates are improper feeding, excessive waste in the tanks, and even the shrimp jumping out of the tank. Bretz says they’re making sure they cover as many bases as possible to reduce the risk of low survival.

When asked why they decided to start a shrimp business in Sigourney, Bretz said, “We thought this would be extremely exciting for us to get into, and that’s one of the key things that kind of triggered us to maybe go down this path. The likelihood of success is a concern, but there is a chance of doing that.” He added, Keokuk County has had economic difficulties, so he sees this as a way to help the community. The system will be tested this month. They will begin raising the shrimp in February. They hope to provide 1,000 pounds of shrimp a month with one tank. If things go well, they will build three additional tanks to provide 1,000 pounds of shrimp a week. To hear more about the project, listen to the two-part In Touch with Southeast Iowa interview with Bretz at KCIIRadio.com.