Sullivan's Island Magazine Summer/Fall 2018

22 www.SullivansIslandMagazine.com | www.SullivansIslandHomes.com Pink on the Horizon? The Future of Shrimp A mong the many lessons learned from the movie “Forrest Gump” is that shrimping is a tough industry, an all-too-familiar reality for local shrimpers struggling to keep up with rising costs and competition from overseas. According to Greg Herald, owner of Palmetto Tide Shrimp, most people don’t realize the hard work, costs and time that go into shrimping. Unless changes are made soon, he fears for the future of an industry that has defined the Lowcountry for generations. On Ben Sawyer Boulevard in Mount Pleasant, Herald sells fresh shrimp from white coolers in the back of his pickup. Tall, with a trim white beard, he engages in small talk with his customers while weighing each bag of shrimp. Originally from North Carolina, Herald moved to Mount Pleasant more than 20 years ago. He worked in the construction business, but, two years ago, went in with three other people and bought “The Lady Page,” a shrimp boat based on Shem Creek. The shrimp season that started in April 2016 and lasted until Feb. 2017 yielded plentiful catches. When numbers fell the following season, Herald sold his share of the boat to focus on selling shrimp By Pamela Brownstein at one of his five stands – three in Mount Pleasant, one in Rock Hill and one near Charlotte, North Carolina. He promotes his business through Facebook, Instagram and Nextdoor, updating his social media accounts daily. He likes to post recipes to Instagram, especially for his favorite dish, shrimp scampi. He said tourists don’t blink an eye at paying $13 a pound for shrimp, but that locals balk at the price. He often has to explain to customers why they’re paying so much, especially for those who remember when fresh shrimp sold for only $4 per pound. Herald knows it costs $3,000 to fill up the tank on a shrimp boat, fuel that lasts about a week-and-a-half. Each shrimp net costs close to $3,000, and most boats pull four nets. Many older boats require constant maintenance, and, add in the cost of permits and regulations, and it is easy to see why many small-scale operations find it hard to stay afloat. Today, only eight or nine working commercial shrimp boats are based out of Shem Creek – a number that has dwindled rapidly from the nearly 70 boats that once docked on the picturesque creek. “Nobody down there is looking for a handout,” Herald said of the remaining shrimpers and fishermen at Shem Creek. “I know how hard these guys work. When it’s not a good season, many shrimp-boat workers have to go find other jobs because the money isn’t there.” Herald hopes to raise awareness about the situation at Shem Creek, and he said preserving the fishery will take investment from the city or even the private sector. McClellanville survives as a shrimping community because of a facility that can process shrimp. Shrimpers can unload their boats and return to the water. “You can catch shrimp all day long, but, if you bring the shrimp to Shem Creek, you have to figure out how to process it and get rid of it,” Herald said. [ Loving Local ] Photos courtesy of Palmetto Tide Shrimp. Sponsored Content