Belize is Back
Written by Mary Ellen Burris on October 8th, 2012.
Filed under: Fresh Off the Press, Mary Ellen Burris
Great news: the great-tasting Belize Shrimp our customers loved are back in the Seafood service case. It’s been a long haul for the company, BAL, to get their shrimp operation back in business since it closed in 2010 with original owner Barry Bowen’s tragic death in a plane crash. The delay was for financial reasons. After Barry’s death, the Bowen family decided to close because of the financial drain on the company’s other businesses; the shrimp farm was not financially viable on its own.
The search was on for a partner who had the financial resources and the knowledge of aquaculture. Barry’s son, Michael, has become a silent partner in the new BAL, now run by a company called Sea Farms which has ties to Europe and Thailand…so broader scope and resources than just one company in Belize.
We’ve always loved what BAL stood for…sustainable practices and inland ponds that don’t affect mangrove forests and coastal wetlands (common in other aquaculture operations); unprecedented steps are taken to prevent water seepage into the land or land contamination into the water. It has reduced water usage with a unique zero-water exchange program and reprocessing shrimp and feed waste into fertilizer for nearby farms.
Our customers loved Belize shrimp because of its rich, lobster-like flavor and texture…with no antibiotics, hormones or chemical preservatives, ever. Through the years shrimp fans kept asking when Belize would be back, even though we had many other shrimp options including E.U. Certified organic shrimp from Ecuador.
So Belize is back now…uncooked EZ peel shell shrimp, available in the service seafood case only for now. BAL is working to increase production and we’ll reintroduce 16 oz. bags of raw and cooked shrimp later next year. Enjoy!!
Senior Vice President, Consumer Affairs 40 years @ Wegmans
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