SEABROOK — Two marine biologists are preparing to open Blue Heron Aquaculture on Route 1 in Seabrook — which they say will be New England’s first commercial shrimp farm.
Granite State natives Stefan Mraz, 28, and Rebecca Heidt, 27 — his partner and fiancée — grew up loving New Hampshire’s Seacoast. Both earned degrees in marine science, he from Northeastern and she from UNH, and have worked in the field since college.
Mraz spent time with an oyster farming operation out of Great Bay, and later with a Portsmouth company, learning the global aspect of seafood.
Initially, Heidt worked nearby at the Seacoast Science Center in the animal care department. After a couple of years in Rye, she became an aquarist — the person who cares for the marine animals — for the New England Aquarium.
With that experience — and a shared dream of running their own business — the two launched Blue Heron Aquaculture. Their goal is to have large, high‑quality shrimp ready for restaurants, grocery stores, and local seafood lovers at their 920 Lafayette Road facility in Seabrook by fall.
They will be raising Pacific whiteleg shrimp, Mraz said, a warm‑water species far larger than the small northern shrimp once abundant in the Gulf of Maine. Northern shrimp typically run 36–40 count per pound, while Pacific whiteleg shrimp range from 16–20 count, with jumbos coming in at 10–12.
“The Gulf of Maine shrimp fishery for northern shrimp closed in 2014, but it wasn’t due to overfishing,” Mraz said. “It was the warming of the waters in the Gulf. Northern shrimp are temperamental; they like it cold. When the Gulf began warming, the shrimp moved north to where it’s colder.”
Shrimp is the most‑consumed seafood in the world, Mraz said, yet it’s surprisingly hard to source domestically. He and Heidt noted that more than 90% of the shrimp eaten in U.S. restaurants and sold in markets is imported from places such as Ecuador, Southeast Asia, India and Indonesia.
After learning about — and visiting — an Iowa company using a unique, self‑contained indoor shrimp‑farming system, Mraz and Heidt realized they could help change that and began planning a facility of their own.
The fact that more than 90% of U.S. shrimp is imported caught the attention of members of Seabrook’s Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment during hearings on the proposed business. The ZBA granted the variance Mraz and Heidt needed to raise shrimp in the Route 1 business condo complex, and the Planning Board approved the change of use for the unit, which had previously been used for storage.
Given Seabrook’s fishing heritage, both boards responded positively to the detailed narrative outlining how the operation will run. Members even encouraged the pair to consider hosting educational field trips for local students once the facility is up and running — an idea Mraz and Heidt welcomed.
How Blue Heron will grow its shrimp
The shrimp farm will occupy a 7,650‑square‑foot unit, where the Iowa company will install its self‑contained system. The setup includes three modules, among them a 3,300‑gallon nursery for the infant shrimp the pair will purchase from a certified hatchery known for high‑quality stock.
“They look like little specs darting around for 30 days,” he said.
As the shrimp grow, they will be transferred into two 10,000‑gallon grow‑out tanks, he said, where they will feed and mature for about 60 more days before they are ready for sale.
The plan is to start with one complete system and expand to three as the business grows.
Once the tanks are filled, the water will be continuously recycled, meaning the operation won’t place a heavy demand on the town’s water supply. The water will be filtered and treated to stay “crystal clear,” Mraz said. And while the interior will be humid — similar to an aquarium — he noted there won’t be any fishy odor escaping the building.
“We visited a similar farm, and there was no odor,” he said. “It’s a self‑contained recirculating system.”
When the shrimp reach market size, they will be processed, packaged, and sold on site, both fresh and frozen. The business also plans to run small, refrigerated trucks a couple of days a week to deliver to restaurants, fish markets, and small grocery stores in New Hampshire and from Boston to Maine.
Blue Heron Aquaculture will also have a small retail counter, so the average consumer can drop by to purchase some.
“We always had a dream of owning our own business and came up with this idea of shrimp farming,” Heidt said. “Both of us feel strongly about supporting our farmers and knowing where your food comes from. Shrimp are a great source of protein. We’re very excited to be able to do this in a sustainable way.”
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These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
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