Lowcountry Shrimp Fleet - Page 4

“The only place, probably, that has not sold imported shrimp is the local shrimp boats themselves,” says Frank Blunt, treasurer for the South Carolina Seafood Alliance and a veteran long-line fisherman. “We’re describing a niche market. This is the shrimp for the people who want to taste the difference, who want quality, and want to invest their money back in their own community. To be able to continue to provide local seafood, we have to help people become aware of what is making it so hard for the local fishermen to stay in business.”

Eddie Gordon agrees. “People are generally willing to pay more for a better product,” he says. “The problem we see is that a lot of menus will say ‘local shrimp’ or ‘Carolina shrimp’ when it’s not. That happens in a lot of locations, not just here. We’re hoping to really start moving forward with this, putting billboards up and working with the restaurants. It’s so people can know, that’s all.” He gives credit where credit is due, noting that many restaurants in town – he named Vickery’s and Shem Creek Bar & Grill specifically – have long made an effort to work with the local seafood supply whenever possible. He also praises collaborations such as the Sustainable Seafood Initiative (see sidebar), which regularly reach out to local restaurants and retailers to raise awareness of the realities of the state of the industry.

Skyrocketing fuel prices play a huge part in that state, as do added expenses for complying with environmental regulations. Long-time veterans of the shrimp fleet learn to set aside funds when times are good for the $20,000 to $50,000 in expenses each trawling season racks up. The problem is that times have been bad year after year for too long now and reserves are running low. A new transmission for a shrimp boat will set you back about nine grand, replacing a propeller $1000, and, if you have any cash left available, you can even get insurance in the neighborhood of 4K.

Little wonder, then, that they would like to see more of their product on the plate at local eateries. A greater demand from the restaurants would directly translate into increased operational capacity for the shrimp boat captains: More crew could be hired on and more boats could operate through the peak season. Wayne Magwood recalls more support in days gone by. “Some places tried when they first opened up,” he says. “Then, they changed chefs, they changed managers, and they went to selling imports.” He believes that if the restaurants insisted on buying local, that the shrimp fishermen could produce enough to keep the entrees coming. “Fresh, local seafood is available six to seven months a year,” he says. “And if they want to freeze some, they can have local shrimp year-round.”

Continued on page 5

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