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Food ready to prepare by LoveTheWild, made with barramundi. (Photo: LoveTheWild)
Aqua-Spark announces new investments in Madagascar and the US
(NETHERLANDS, 1/5/2017)
An operation to grow sea cucumber in Madagascar and an investment in the US seafood sector are the two new businesses that Aqua-Spark has incorporated into its portfolio.
The Dutch investment fund reported that it has invested USD 2.75 million to incorporate the company Indian Ocean Trepang, dedicated to the cultivation of sea cucumber in Madagascar.
Two points drove the decision: Sea cucumber increasing demand is many Asian markets, and the fact that the species is a known as a ‘deposit feeder,’ or an aquatic animal that feeds on organic matter that drifts through the water, settling on the bottom.
For Aqua-Spark, which has existing investments in land-based fish farms Sogn Aqua and Matorka, the addition of such a company to its portfolio represents an interesting prospect for potential scale and growth through cross-application.
Mike Velings and Amy Novogratz, co-founders of Aqua-Spark, explained, “They are at once helping to revive an endangered marine animal and providing a sustainable filtering method for fish farms, while also creating jobs in key markets.”
Besides, Indian Ocean Trepang is the only exclusive global licensee for a patent on in-vitro fertilization of the Holothuria scabra, a sea cucumber species that has been listed as endangered and is included on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation.
Thibault Giulioli, CEO of Indian Ocean Trepang, emphasized, “With support from Aqua-Spark, we look forward to implementing our vision and rolling out our business model throughout the Indian Ocean.”
Aqua-Spark has also integrated LoveTheWild, a US-based producer of sustainable, ready-to-prepare, frozen seafood meal kits through an investment of USD2.5 M, thus setting its first step in the consumer market.
The purchased company fulfils the double role of removing the "intimidation factor" of preparing seafood dishes and encouraging consumers to broaden their choices beyond traditional choices such as salmon to more sustainable, environmentally friendly species such as barramundi or striped bass.
“Our goal isn’t just to offer sustainable seafood, but to make it the most exciting and in demand consumer protein,” Jacqueline Claudia and Christy Brouker, co-founders of LoveTheWild, stressed.
The company’s kits are produced with 60 per cent farmed fish and 40 per cent wild-caught fish. However, with Aqua-Spark’s guidance, the eventual goal is for the company to shift production to 100 per cent farmed fish without the use of antibiotics or chemicals.
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Information of the company:
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Address:
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Nieuwegracht 32
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Utrecht
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State/ZIP:
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(3512LS)
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Netherlands
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Phone:
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+31 (0)30 8200369
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E-Mail:
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[email protected]
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