According to our Department of Natural Resources
(DNR), South Carolina is home to three species of shrimp:
brown, white, and pink, all of which taste much the same.
There are three separate seasons in the commercial shrimping
arena, which includes ocean-going vessels typically shrimping
three to five miles offshore. Focus in May/June is on roe
shrimp, while summer brings brown shrimp, and early
fall through November or December means white shrimp,
typically the largest catch.
Interestingly, the nursery habitat for shrimp is in the salt
marshes and tidal creeks. Marsh grasses provide juveniles
with food and cover from predators. The young shrimp
will thrive in environments of 25 percent to as much as
100 percent of the salinity of sea water before eventually
migrating to their ocean home, which typically occurs
during outgoing tides. While the big boats work the ocean,
recreational activities with cast nets, drop nets, and seines
are focused on estuaries and tidal creeks. Because of the
increasing focus on conservation of this important resource,
recreational shrimpers are limited both to smaller quantities
(measured in quarts) and shorter seasons.
According to Consumer Reports, in a 2015 study, 94
percent of the shrimp eaten in the U.S. comes from overseas
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farms. Restaurants have been known to purchase a small
amount of domestic shrimp to be able to advertise a local
product, but then subsidizing that with many more pounds
of foreign catch. For a life that typically involves pre-dawn to
late-night sailing six days per week during the season, a crew
member will earn between $15,000 and $30,000 a year. When
they aren’t out shrimping, typically they are back cleaning,
repairing, and outfitting their trawlers for the next sail or
working to sell their catch.
The next time you consider whether to pay the difference
between the foreign shrimp at Costco or the local shrimp at
Sidi’s, Harris Teeter, or direct from the shrimpers themselves,
consider this: The Consumer Reports study also determined
that foreign, farm-raised shrimp was highly susceptible to
contaminants like fecal matter and chemical fertilizers. To
combat these issues, they are fed tetracyclines and other
antibiotics. They also found high incidences of bacteria in
imported farm shrimp, including MRSA. Never mind the
beauty of a shrimp boat trawling at sunrise, or the challenges
of the shrimpers who work them. Our local shrimp is fresher,
tastier, and a whole lot safer than anything you can get
elsewhere. Oh, and they’re a fantastic subject for your favorite
local photographers. What more could you need to know?! NK
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