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Kevin McManus, operations manager, is shown in the Blue Oasis Pure Shrimp Farm near Apex July 19, 2011. The shrimp are grown in recycled shipping containers using a closed loop system so there is no waste product discharged into the environment.
By Aida Ahmed 
Monday, July 25, 2011 | 2 a.m.
Beyond the Sun
Something new is in store for seafood lovers who dine at Las Vegas casino restaurants.
Starting in September, restaurants such as RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay and Nove at the Palms might be serving locally grown shrimp from the Blue Oasis shrimp farm in North Las Vegas.
Yes, that’s right: Shrimp farmed locally rather than flown in from the Gulf, thus shrimp that are fresh, not frozen.
The farming process comes from scientist Adrian Zettell, who is chief operating officer of the only saltwater harvest pond in the U.S.
More than 3.5 million Mexican white shrimp will be harvested in small ponds inside the Blue Oasis farm in the desert. The big white structure made of fabric houses ponds treated with a special formula and produces no wastewater.
The baby shrimp are pathogen-free and are brought into the pond from Florida at just 5 days old. The harvest process in which larva grow to mature shrimp takes about 120 days, after which the shrimp are packed in ice and delivered to the casinos.
According to the company’s CEO, Scott McManus, Las Vegas is the highest per capita consumer of shrimp in the country. He saw a need and an opportunity to create jobs.
Kevin McManus, operations manager of the $5 million farm, said it has created 20 jobs and plans to expand after the first harvest.
“We hope to start Phase 2 shortly, so that would bring anywhere from 20 to 40 employees” in addition to the existing workers, he said.
Jobs include harvesting, sorting and packaging shrimp for high-end restaurants. The first harvest will be in September and shipments may be made every other day.
According to Michael Minor, executive chef at Border Grill at Mandalay Bay, sustainability — meaning shrimp aren’t overharvested — is key in shrimp farming, and the reason he plans to use some shrimp samples from the farm in his popular tequila dinner next week. He’s already tried the shrimp and says they’re flavorful and fresh, exactly what the Border Grill is looking for.
“What they do coincides with what we do; we buy only sustainable seafood,” Minor said.
Blue Oasis plans to expand further, distributing to local restaurants and specialty meat shops, as well as to Reno and Kansas City, Mo.
GREAT!!! I will eat at all of these restaurants, this was a great idea. wow!
McManus is doing a good thing for people and the planet.
His shrimp are pathogen free and oil free and farm pesticide run off free, etc.
A chance to eat really clean and healthy food.
I wish them luck. Shrimp farming is very competitive business. If they keep up the quality and sanitary standards it will be a real winner.
Really good idea...I'd love to know I'm eating none Gulf shrimp after the oil catastrophe and all the highly toxic chemicals that remain submerged deep in the waters. Authorities would never tell you how much toxic Corexit they sprayed on the gulf and the toxins and oils still remain in the waters. I know my seafood consumption has dropped the past couple of years.
Now only if North Las Vegas can get their act together...
Steak and non-toxic shrimp = win
Maybe he means oil from the BP spill? Good story, and good idea, they were raising tomatoes in a co-generation project by Loosee Road.
Why do they have to fly the baby shrimp in from Florida? Is there a way to hatch shrimp here? That seems an added expense ... Oh, and will they be "jumbo" shrimp?
Great green business idea for all concerned all the way around. At this point we may need to farm our own seafood anyway, I'm surprised there is any life left in our waterways at all.
I just may go back to eating shrimp again. I have heard nightmare stories about imported shrimp that are "raised" in tanks. They pump chemicals and antibiotics in to treat the water rather than clean it.
There is nothing better than fresh shrimp. Frozen shrimp is no comparison and much of the stuff farmed in Asia is unsafe to eat as they have no controls or enforcement and are raised in chemical filled ponds with inadequate filtration and circulation allowing a buildup of waste from live shrimp and toxins from rotting food and dead shrimp.
I wonder why they chose white Mexican shrimp. We lived near the waters edge in North Carolina and we used to harvest white, green and brown shrimp as each came in season. Some are much bigger than others.
At any rate, I can't wait until fresh local shrimp is available same day as harvested in local markets. Now that's good eating.
Aquaculture is just what our city needs to diversy it's economy. And if local hotels demand the product all the better.
Great idea and I wish them success. I will not eat any shrimp but domestic wild harvested but they may change my mind.
This is a great idea. Locally grown fresh shrimp in the desert. I wonder if they are hiring for more help. On the television piece to looked like one or two workers and 30+ tanks of shrimp.
My only less-than-totally-enthusiastic thought is, I don't know where the "salt water" is coming from, but if it's starting with water from Lake Mead or anywhere else in Southern Nevada, or even the ocean, for that matter, they better put that through a dialysis filter FIRST, or you might as well just keep poisoning the waters off Southeast Asia with their "farm-raised" shrimp. Why the sour attitude? I highly recommend EVERYONE visit the "Atomic Museum" on E. Flamingo (a must-see for any resident-or just plain old AMURICAN)-a Guggenheim museum, and VERY WORTHWHILE--which is why casinos probably don't promote it. Or, for you stay-at-homers, just 'Google' "Toxic Henderson." Yucca Mountain starts to look like a MUCH better place to build condos than Blue Diamond Hill.