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Company Produces Fresh Shrimp In Unexpected Location

PENNSAUKEN, NJ (CBS) -- In a warehouse, a dream is slowly growing.

In a big shrimp company in Pennsauken, New Jersey, they are successfully farming shrimp indoors in giant tanks.

Eric Fusco, co-owner of Big Shrimp Company says, "We created a shrimp farm here that can produce up to 3 million shrimp per year. It holds about 75,000 gallons of seawater, straight from the Atlantic Ocean."

Co-owners Eric Fusco and John Dipietropolo had heard about farming fish indoors and decided to dive in head first.

Dipietropolo says, "On a dare, I kind of got into the shrimp business. We were originally going to do indoor tilapia, but because nobody is really doing it successfully, Eric and I decided to go with shrimp."

The process begins with salt water being pumped into tankers and hauled in from the Barnegat Bay. The water is filtered and circulated through UV light to get rid of any bacteria. This system gives the shrimp the best possible environment to grow in.

Dipietropolo says, "We start with 240,000 shrimp. They are barely visible to the naked eye. Then we break it out into different tanks where they grow out. And they're there for four months. On a daily basis the guys are checking them, feeding them, making sure they're happy."

Right now, they're at about three months from becoming colossal shrimp, so roughly a month from being ready to eat.

"Shrimp creole. Shrimp gumbo. Shrimp scampi. That work for ya?"

On May 13, Big Shrimp Company will unveil something to the world that's never been done before. And they're already thinking ahead.

Gallen: 'Expansion?'

Dipietropolo: 'Of course! Always thinking about stuff like that. And again it was lets start small and go bigger.'

Join them on Saturday, May 13 to learn all about the freshest shrimp you'll ever taste at their Shrimp Festival.

For more, email them at Bigshrimpco@gmail.com or call 856-406-4546.

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