Blue Star Foods Working to Acquire S.C. Land for New Crab Operation

July 11, 2023

Seafood processor is working with officials to finalize funding for expanding its Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) operation in South Carolina.

Andy Hanacek

Blue Star Foods Corp., a Miami, Fla.-based integrated, sustainable seafood processor, has received an option from Beaufort County, S.C., to purchase land for its Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) expansion.

Blue Star said in a company release that Atlantic Blue crab would be the main source of crabs to support the Soft Shell Crab facility operation, which is targeted for 3.5 million crabs per year and is expected to be the largest soft shell crab facility on the eastern shore of the U.S. The company also expects to include a new crab hatchery at the location, completing the vertical integration of the plant’s supply chain.

The company said it is working closely with the South Carolina Department of Commerce on the crab project in Beaufort County, reviewing the incentive proposed tax breaks, abatements and incentives for the 9.47 acres of land, which could accommodate a building up to 100,000 square feet, the release notes. The operation would create as many as 48 new jobs over the next three years, the release notes.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.