Caribbean Shrimp in the News
|
|
Happy International Women’s Day!
Today is day of celebrating and empowering women across the globe. As such, we want to honour today with a post dedicated to the inspiring entrepreneurs and businesswomen who have contributed to their respective tourism industries. As Canadians look to international and U.S. travel in the future, it is important to highlight the accomplishments of the women behind some of these destinations’ most memorable and interesting experiences – from a Canadian family shrimp farm turned agri-tourism adventure mecca in Belize to a Montreal-native making her chocolatier dreams come true in Barbados! Read on for some of the stories of the women making waves in the tourism markets of Barbados, Belize, and Northern Virginia. +++ Heather McIntosh, Owner and Operator of Caribbean Shrimp Company Ltd: The Caribbean Shrimp Company Ltd has been family owned and operated since 1986 and is the oldest continuously operating shrimp farm in Belize. Heather is the proud Belizean-Canadian who has taken her father’s shrimp farm and turned it into eco-agri-tourism attraction mecca! The company now offers organic shrimp farm tours and tastings, mangrove maiden boat tour (the only solar powered boat in Belize), crocodile sanctuary tour, Captain Hook’s Shrimp restaurant and bar, Lighthouse Bay Saltwater pool, nature trails, Mayan artifact walks, and adventure zone paintball. Visitors can also climb Hook’s Tower for a five-story view of the 260-acre farm, and the farm is considered on the top-ranking bird watching sites for unique shore birds. Heather has worked to evolve her father’s company into a tourist must-visit attraction, catering to virtually every type of traveller’s needs. Heather has also led her company to earn the Belize Tourism Gold Standard Certification and boasts accolades including The Trip Advisor Travelers Choice Award 2020, Trip Advisor Award of Excellence in 2019 and placement in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide! A Count of Belize Birds
| ||||||||||||||
Amandala News:
|
|
The Caribbean Shrimp Company, a shrimp farm in the country that has been operational since 1986, has received international certification from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), which provides a guarantee to buyers that it has met the industry’s standards.
The 266-acre farm is family-owned by second-generation Belizean-Canadian citizens, and each year the farm, on which more than 30 persons are employed, produces more than 100,000 pounds of organically-grown shrimp for the local and export markets.
“It’s fantastic. I can’t even begin to describe how ecstatic I was that we were able to work through this process. This is to Belize the longest continuously-owned shrimp farm in the country, because it’s been under one ownership the whole time. And we have been operating the whole time – maybe at a lesser capacity, depending on how things are going – but we have been operating right through,” said Heather McIntosh, general manager and owner of Caribbean Shrimp Company Limited, to a local media outlet.
McIntosh added, “I am Belize’s smallest shrimp farm, so for us to be able to work through such an arduous process and it is only a team of two – myself and my office manager, Miss Yolanda Cacho – we did all of the documentation provision and everything. ASC sends a control union representative; two come and do an onsite audit. We had three, because they brought a trainee with them as well. And they were here for two solid days, starting at six in the morning, and they looked at every single document, every single process, [and] did a full site inspection to go through the multitude of processes and parameters to make sure that we complied with that process. And it wasn’t easy. There are steps along the path where we weren’t a hundred percent compliant, but they give you time to show them that you can become compliant.”
McIntosh mentioned that the company produces sixteen shrimps per cubic meter of the farm’s ponds, as they try to make the environment as natural as possible.
“Some of the other farms do between two hundred and four hundred shrimp per cubic meter, because they do intensive farming. I have extensive farming, and I have earthen ponds. I try to keep it as close to nature as possible. I have mangroves all around the ponds to try and naturally filter the water. I have no mechanized equipment here; it is all-natural,” she said.
The aim for the company is to focus on export, niche consumer, resort, and retail markets, and, now, agri-tourism.
The 266-acre farm is family-owned by second-generation Belizean-Canadian citizens, and each year the farm, on which more than 30 persons are employed, produces more than 100,000 pounds of organically-grown shrimp for the local and export markets.
“It’s fantastic. I can’t even begin to describe how ecstatic I was that we were able to work through this process. This is to Belize the longest continuously-owned shrimp farm in the country, because it’s been under one ownership the whole time. And we have been operating the whole time – maybe at a lesser capacity, depending on how things are going – but we have been operating right through,” said Heather McIntosh, general manager and owner of Caribbean Shrimp Company Limited, to a local media outlet.
McIntosh added, “I am Belize’s smallest shrimp farm, so for us to be able to work through such an arduous process and it is only a team of two – myself and my office manager, Miss Yolanda Cacho – we did all of the documentation provision and everything. ASC sends a control union representative; two come and do an onsite audit. We had three, because they brought a trainee with them as well. And they were here for two solid days, starting at six in the morning, and they looked at every single document, every single process, [and] did a full site inspection to go through the multitude of processes and parameters to make sure that we complied with that process. And it wasn’t easy. There are steps along the path where we weren’t a hundred percent compliant, but they give you time to show them that you can become compliant.”
McIntosh mentioned that the company produces sixteen shrimps per cubic meter of the farm’s ponds, as they try to make the environment as natural as possible.
“Some of the other farms do between two hundred and four hundred shrimp per cubic meter, because they do intensive farming. I have extensive farming, and I have earthen ponds. I try to keep it as close to nature as possible. I have mangroves all around the ponds to try and naturally filter the water. I have no mechanized equipment here; it is all-natural,” she said.
The aim for the company is to focus on export, niche consumer, resort, and retail markets, and, now, agri-tourism.
| cscl_asc_certification_media_release_aug24_2022_final.pdf |
| caribbean_shrimp_newsletter_summer_2022.pdf |
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AT CARIBBEAN SHRIMP FARM!
Click to watch the testimonial video.
Industrial Application – Caribbean Shrimp invested in Energy Efficient Equipment and a Solar Panel System that now powers over 60 percent of their energy needs from FREE energy from the Sun!
Click to watch the testimonial video.
Industrial Application – Caribbean Shrimp invested in Energy Efficient Equipment and a Solar Panel System that now powers over 60 percent of their energy needs from FREE energy from the Sun!
Caribbean Shrimp Featured on the Chocolateur Blog
|
|
Another stop I’d recommend if you have time to explore the Belize City area is having lunch or dinner at Captain Hook’s Shrimp Restaurant & Bar, a casual open-air restaurant in Ladyville run by the folks at the Caribbean Shrimp Company. As you know, I search out cocoa (cacao) cuisine wherever I go, so when partners Bob Cooney and Heather McIntosh-Rivera learned I was coming, they asked their chef to make something for us using local Belizean chocolate. And was I surprised! Chef Carlos made us a lovely Shrimp Cordon Bleu dinner featuring prawns stuffed with bacon and mozzarella cheese and served with grilled vegetables and a savoury dark chocolate sauce enhanced with Miss Maria Sauce containing mild peppers and oil. It was magnifico!
And it was terrific seeing ex-pat Canadian Bob Cooney and meeting his partner Heather, who grew up in Belize and moved to Canada to study, met Bob, and they’ve now returned to Belize to run her family businesses, that include the shrimp farm, restaurant, and a gas station.
Heather and Bob are the high-energy dynamic duo behind the Caribbean Shrimp Company and Captain Hook’s. Bob insisted I mention that his hair blowing in the breeze detracts from his handsomeness, but to me, it depicts the fun energy that this energized couple emits.
George is the large male crocodile that lives on the Caribbean Shrimp Farm. He enjoys being fed raw chicken feet.
Captain Hook’s now has a swimming pool for guests to enjoy and offers great viewing for birders. Being a working shrimp farm, you’ll see plenty of pelicans and other birds on the lookout for a quick bite of shrimp. There are also a couple of crocodiles on the site that you can feed bags of chicken feet to. And a paintball adventure area for those who really want to venture onto the wild side!
Here’s a tip for any shrimp lovers flying in or out of Belize City: Captain Hook’s is located in Ladyville, just a 10-20-minute drive from the Belize City Airport. So if you pre-check your luggage, you can swing back and enjoy some time at Captain Hook’s before take-off, as there isn’t much in the way of fine cuisine at the airport. I can assure you, it will be worth the trip. Be sure to try some of the Traveller’s 5 Barrel Rum! I’ve tried rums from around the Caribbean and think I like the Traveller’s 5 Belizean rum more than any other rum I’ve had.
And it was terrific seeing ex-pat Canadian Bob Cooney and meeting his partner Heather, who grew up in Belize and moved to Canada to study, met Bob, and they’ve now returned to Belize to run her family businesses, that include the shrimp farm, restaurant, and a gas station.
Heather and Bob are the high-energy dynamic duo behind the Caribbean Shrimp Company and Captain Hook’s. Bob insisted I mention that his hair blowing in the breeze detracts from his handsomeness, but to me, it depicts the fun energy that this energized couple emits.
George is the large male crocodile that lives on the Caribbean Shrimp Farm. He enjoys being fed raw chicken feet.
Captain Hook’s now has a swimming pool for guests to enjoy and offers great viewing for birders. Being a working shrimp farm, you’ll see plenty of pelicans and other birds on the lookout for a quick bite of shrimp. There are also a couple of crocodiles on the site that you can feed bags of chicken feet to. And a paintball adventure area for those who really want to venture onto the wild side!
Here’s a tip for any shrimp lovers flying in or out of Belize City: Captain Hook’s is located in Ladyville, just a 10-20-minute drive from the Belize City Airport. So if you pre-check your luggage, you can swing back and enjoy some time at Captain Hook’s before take-off, as there isn’t much in the way of fine cuisine at the airport. I can assure you, it will be worth the trip. Be sure to try some of the Traveller’s 5 Barrel Rum! I’ve tried rums from around the Caribbean and think I like the Traveller’s 5 Belizean rum more than any other rum I’ve had.
Traveling to beautiful Belize-Lodging, Dining, Jungle-Water Activities-Tours- January 24, 2021
Caribbean Shrimp welcomed travel writer Todd Elliot to our farm this January. Check out his story here!
https://ccnewspaper.com/2021/01/traveling-to-beautiful-belize-lodging-dining-jungle-water-activities-tours-january-2021/
Traveling to beautiful Belize-Lodging, Dining, Jungle-Water Activities-Tours- January 24, 2021
Caribbean Shrimp welcomed travel writer Todd Elliot to our farm this January. Check out his story here!
https://ccnewspaper.com/2021/01/traveling-to-beautiful-belize-lodging-dining-jungle-water-activities-tours-january-2021/
Caribbean Shrimp Featured in Popular Real Life Recess Lifestyle Blog
Birding Photography taken at Caribbean shrimp featured in ambergris caye news
Caribbean Shrimp Advertisement in Westjet Magazine April 2020 issue
https://issuu.com/redpointmedia/docs/wj-04-20-digital
Caribbean Shrimp Company Featured in "My Beautiful Belize" Travel Publication
https://mybeautifulbelize.com/countless-ways-to-have-delicious-fun-while-exploring-the-caribbean-shrimp-company/
Mangrove Maiden Boat Tour Launches
The Caribbean Shrimp Company was recently featured on Lovefm and 7News and other regional media as we launched our eco-friendly and sustainable solar boat, the Mangrove Maiden!
Read more:
https://lovefm.com/eco-friendly-lagoon-tour-launched-in-belize/
http://7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=51043
https://issuu.com/redpointmedia/docs/wj-04-20-digital
Caribbean Shrimp Company Featured in "My Beautiful Belize" Travel Publication
https://mybeautifulbelize.com/countless-ways-to-have-delicious-fun-while-exploring-the-caribbean-shrimp-company/
Mangrove Maiden Boat Tour Launches
The Caribbean Shrimp Company was recently featured on Lovefm and 7News and other regional media as we launched our eco-friendly and sustainable solar boat, the Mangrove Maiden!
Read more:
https://lovefm.com/eco-friendly-lagoon-tour-launched-in-belize/
http://7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=51043
|
|
The Compete Caribbean Facility and the Belize Shrimp Growers Association are partnering to improve sustainable production of shrimp in Belize.
An ambitious technical cooperation program will provide funding of up to US$ 400,000 to strengthen the industry’s biosecurity infrastructure and capabilities; and establish a Biosecurity Aquaculture Zone Management Plan (BAZMP).
The development of a BAZMP in Belize is important to minimize the risk of introducing infectious diseases into the shrimp farms and to avoid that infectious agents spread to other sites and to other susceptible species.
After the project expected completion in 2020, it is estimated that shrimp production will be raised to 10 million pounds/year, and 670 new jobs will be created, half for women.
With successful implementation of this project, Belize will be the first country in the world to implement a BAZMP covering an entire country, which will ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of the sector in international markets demanding responsibly produced seafood.
The project is the result of Cluster Development Plan (CDP) developed by the Belize Shrimp Growers Association in partnership with Compete Caribbean.
The BAZMP will be designed in close collaboration with relevant partners such as the regulatory agency – Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) and Development Finance Corporation Belize (DFC).
Through previous support from Compete Caribbean, the Belize shrimp producers received training and capacity that allowed them to successfully obtain the Aquaculture Steward Council (ASC) certification, which ensures environmentally and socially responsible production of farmed shrimp.
An ambitious technical cooperation program will provide funding of up to US$ 400,000 to strengthen the industry’s biosecurity infrastructure and capabilities; and establish a Biosecurity Aquaculture Zone Management Plan (BAZMP).
The development of a BAZMP in Belize is important to minimize the risk of introducing infectious diseases into the shrimp farms and to avoid that infectious agents spread to other sites and to other susceptible species.
After the project expected completion in 2020, it is estimated that shrimp production will be raised to 10 million pounds/year, and 670 new jobs will be created, half for women.
With successful implementation of this project, Belize will be the first country in the world to implement a BAZMP covering an entire country, which will ensure the sustainability and competitiveness of the sector in international markets demanding responsibly produced seafood.
The project is the result of Cluster Development Plan (CDP) developed by the Belize Shrimp Growers Association in partnership with Compete Caribbean.
The BAZMP will be designed in close collaboration with relevant partners such as the regulatory agency – Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) and Development Finance Corporation Belize (DFC).
Through previous support from Compete Caribbean, the Belize shrimp producers received training and capacity that allowed them to successfully obtain the Aquaculture Steward Council (ASC) certification, which ensures environmentally and socially responsible production of farmed shrimp.
Caribbean Shrimp featured in montreal times for covid-19 safety measures |
|
Proudly Belizean-Canadian owned and operated since 1986, Caribbean Shrimp Company Ltd is the oldest continuously operating shrimp farm in Belize. Alberta native, Heather McIntosh, has turned her father’s shrimp farm into an eco-agri-tourism destination offering organic shrimp farm tours and tastings, mangrove maiden boat tour (the only solar powered boat in Belize), crocodile sanctuary tour, Captain Hook’s Shrimp restaurant and bar, Lighthouse Bay Saltwater pool (with the tales spiral water slide in Belize opening August 2020), nature trails and Mayan artifact walks and adventure zone paintball. Visitors can also climb Hook’s Tower for a five-storey view of the 260-acre farm, and the farm is considered on the top-ranking bird watching sites for unique shore birds.
To continue to safely welcome visitors, the company has implemented the following protocols:
· Paintball is open with group bookings during the week and open for onsite walk-ins Saturday and Sunday.
• All paintball masks are sanitized after use with hot water and antibacterial soap, and are sprayed with an alcohol-based sanitizer.
Paintball equipment is wiped down after each use and the camo wear is commercially laundered in hot water after each use.
• Paintball is a great sport during this time as masks are mandatory and at least 10 feet of space is required between players to get a good shot.
· All tours (Boat, Farm, Croc) are available by reservation only, with masks required and social distancing practiced.
· The company is conveniently an open-air facility, boasting fresh air, open space, and sunshine. Beyond being an open-air facility, the company has increased sanitation practices in dining spaces, washrooms, change rooms and on the boat rails and seats.
· The chlorine level of the pool has been increased slightly to ensure full eradication of any potential contagions.
The company is in the process of working towards Belize Tourism Board’s ‘Tourism Gold Standard’ certification and boasts accolades including The Trip Advisor Travelers Choice Award 2020, Trip Advisor Award of Excellence in 2019 and placement in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide!
To continue to safely welcome visitors, the company has implemented the following protocols:
· Paintball is open with group bookings during the week and open for onsite walk-ins Saturday and Sunday.
• All paintball masks are sanitized after use with hot water and antibacterial soap, and are sprayed with an alcohol-based sanitizer.
Paintball equipment is wiped down after each use and the camo wear is commercially laundered in hot water after each use.
• Paintball is a great sport during this time as masks are mandatory and at least 10 feet of space is required between players to get a good shot.
· All tours (Boat, Farm, Croc) are available by reservation only, with masks required and social distancing practiced.
· The company is conveniently an open-air facility, boasting fresh air, open space, and sunshine. Beyond being an open-air facility, the company has increased sanitation practices in dining spaces, washrooms, change rooms and on the boat rails and seats.
· The chlorine level of the pool has been increased slightly to ensure full eradication of any potential contagions.
The company is in the process of working towards Belize Tourism Board’s ‘Tourism Gold Standard’ certification and boasts accolades including The Trip Advisor Travelers Choice Award 2020, Trip Advisor Award of Excellence in 2019 and placement in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide!
