Kampachi Farms was founded in 2011 by Neil Sims and Michael Bullock, former executives of the pioneering Hawaiian open ocean aquaculture company Kona Blue Water Farms, with the goal of continuing the innovative research that was ongoing at KBWF and leveraging scientific discoveries to advance commercial Kampachi production. In addition to continuing and building upon the research programs initiated by KBWF at our Kona, HI research facility, planning is underway for a new commercial growut site in Bahia de La Paz, MX. This site will allow efficient, scalable, commercial production of high-value sashimi-grade Kampachi in close proximity to the product's primary markets.
Kampachi Farms remains committed to advancing the cause of safe, responsible and sustainable mariculture in the U.S.A. Having sucessfully conducted the first-ever trial of open-ocean aquaculture in U.S. Federal Waters with the Velella Project, Kampachi Farms aims to further develop offshore technologies that will facilitate the expansion of responsible mariculture in the U.S. and globally, such as deepwater mooring and farmsite automation capabilities. Ongoing research into alternative feeds is focused on reducing mariculture's reliance on wild-caught fishmeal and fish oil, replacing them with more sustainable American-grown agricultural products.
The Kampachi Farms team firmly believes in the necessity of developing a safe, responsible, and sustinable mariculture industry as an alternative to rampant overfishing and a $10 Billion domestic seafood trade deficit. By employing a combination of industry experience and innovation, Kampachi Farms will show the world that it is possible to responsibly grow delicious, healthy, high quality fish in the open ocean -- right where they belong.