KEKAHA — When the Kekaha shrimp farm was in full operation several years ago, ocean currents dispersed millions of gallons of shrimp-smelling wastewater that the company dumped daily near the shore. The stench and remains reached popular surf spots such
KEKAHA — When the Kekaha shrimp farm was in full operation several years ago, ocean currents dispersed millions of gallons of shrimp-smelling wastewater that the company dumped daily near the shore.
The stench and remains reached popular surf spots such as Kinikini, Majors Bay and Family Housings, prompting an increased number of shark sightings and causing surfers to avoid the area.
After changing ownership twice, the shrimp farm is slowly making its return. Officials at Integrated Aquaculture are saying this time around it will be different, and nutrient levels in the wastewater will be kept at minimal levels.
Concerned residents — some of whom were invited last week to an exclusive informational meeting and tour of the farm — have focused their attention in recent months on a critical permit the new owners need to proceed with their plans to increase operations. The company is asking the state to let it dump up to 30 million gallons of wastewater a day into the ocean.
History
Ceatech began operating in 1999, reaching a peak annual production of nearly 1 million pounds of shrimp. The company employed more than 60 residents. The company folded in 2004 after the white spot shrimp virus outbreak wiped out the shrimp.
Sunrise Capital bought the farm in 2006, but was forced to suspend operations in 2008 because of a second outbreak of the same virus.
Now, the shrimp business is back for a third round. Integrated Aquaculture purchased the shares of Sunrise Capital in 2009 and has been working to bring operations back to full capacity.
“The attraction of this project to me is that it is a sustainably designed facility,” said George Chamberlain, Integrated Aquaculture director of operations.
This is a “top-notch” project that the community will be “very proud” of, he added.
But before Sunrise Capital can start dumping millions of gallons of wastewater into the ocean, it must obtain a permit from the state Department of Health Clean Water Branch.
Private meeting
The DOH hand-picked 12 community members who state officials determined had submitted substantial input in comments on the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit application.
On Thursday the DOH and Sunrise Capital conducted a private meeting and a field trip with these select individuals at the facility in Kekaha, which left many community members questioning if there will be any public meetings before the permit’s fate is decided.
“The community as a whole really objects to the fact that there’s just a limited number of people here,” Kaua‘i scientist Dr. Carl Berg said at the meeting. “We feel that the Department of Health was negligent and in error in having it on short notice.”
Berg said the limited people attending the meeting should not be expected to be responsible to relay the information to the rest of the community.
“We are working on a public hearing,” said DOH Clean Water Branch Chief Eric Wong, adding that there will probably also be an informational meeting before the hearing.
The farm
The Kekaha facility has 40 round ponds measuring one-acre each, plus eight round half-acre nursery ponds.
If all ponds were in operation, they would be discharging up to 23 million gallons a day of wastewater into both ditches that run parallel to the farm and lead to the ocean.
Chamberlain said the company is seeking a permit to discharge 30 million gallons a day because it has plans to develop 420 acres across the highway.
Right now only eight to 10 ponds are in operation, according to Chamberlain. He said he hopes all of the ponds will be operating in about three years.
Sunrise Capital is also investing in fish cultivation. Currently the farm is producing moi and kahala, but has plans to cultivate barramundi and tuna.
One of the projects that caught the attention of some at the meeting was a proposed recreational fishing facility.
The farm also grows seaweed that is used as a light barrier and nutrient source in the shrimp ponds.
Perhaps the most high-tech product proposed to come out of the farm is a component used in jet fuel. The farm is looking into producing algae that can be used for jet fuel after processing.
Pollution control
During the farm’s operations under the former owners, tilapia — an invasive and highly resilient fish — colonized the drainage ditches, reproducing heavily and reaching high biomass.
Varying factors would lead to changes in oxygen levels at the ditches, causing mass fish kills, which added to the foul smell in the water discharged in the ocean.
The installation of a weir at the end of the drainage ditch prevented tilapia from entering the farm, Chamberlain said.
Oyster and clam cultivation in smaller ponds are being used as an experimental filtration system, and are yielding results. Two ponds are using the system, and the water is clear.
The clams and oysters could be sold in local markets, but Hawai‘i currently has no shellfish sanitation lab, which prevents the sale of the product. Chamberlain said jokingly if the state doesn’t reinstate the lab, there will be lots of cookouts in the farm.
Shrimp market
Chamberlain said that in the last 10 years Specific Pathogen Free shrimp derived from Hawaiian broodstock began to dominate the world market, making it a profitable business for Hawai‘i.
The state’s biggest market is in Asia. China has been increasing production steadily, but Hawai‘i has the advantage of being geographically isolated, therefore secure against the white spot shrimp virus.
Even with the isolation advantage, Kaua‘i has suffered from the virus, which has no treatment.
Chamberlain said during the last outbreak, the virus was detected in frozen imported shrimp, which were dumped in large scale in the neighboring landfill after a power failure.
In the most probable explanation, birds feasted on the shrimp. Since the virus does not survive a trip through the birds’ intestines, it had to have been vomited into the ponds. Because the ponds represented a steady food source for seabirds, they frequented the ponds often.
“This is one of the most bio-secure places in the world, except for the landfill,” Chamberlain said.
To prevent the birds from frequenting the ponds, Sunrise Capital started covering them with nets. Soon, all of the ponds will be covered with netting.
The ponds have been restarted for about a year, and a state veterinarian inspects for pathogens every quarter.
Even though Kaua‘i is considered secure, Chamberlain said, “in farming business there’s no absolute.”
In the hatchery, however, he assured the group that the risk of contamination is zero, as disease control there is an “absolute prerequisite.”
Community members suggested that Sunrise Capital educate the community on properly disposing of shrimp in case of a power failure, and possibly trade the spoiled shrimp for a voucher at the farm.
The white spot virus is not harmful to humans; it has a short life span outside the host and it dies quickly when cooked, Chamberlain said.
Concerns linger
Community members were highly concerned that the discharged water will reach the ocean and have the same level of pollution that it once had when the farm was operating at full capacity.
Kekaha resident and avid surfer Bruce Pleas said that when Ceatech operated the farm, 80 percent of the time the water at Majors Bay was green and had low visibility. Six months after Ceatech ceased operations, the visibility at Majors Bay went back to 100 feet, he said.
Berg said the testing of the ocean water should be done weekly, not quarterly like it used to be.
Pleas said the tester would collect sample water less than three feet from the shore, but the currents carrying the nutrients and causing turgidity in the water were a little farther away from the shoreline, causing test results to be misleading.
“There were definitely some problems going on there,” said fisherman Greg Holzman, adding that the water around Majors used to be smelly, dirty and sharky when Ceatech owned the farm.
Chamberlain said the company doesn’t have anything to hide, but they had the perception that the community was angry at the farm. He said he would be willing to hold public hearings if the community members think there is a need for it.
Holzman suggested that Sunrise Capital hold meetings in three different parts of the island to give a broader range of the population a chance to understand the farm operations and provide input in the permitting process.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@kauaipubco.com.
