Shrimpers say it's barely worth it to stay in business
A net decline
By Schuyler Kropf
The Post and Courier
Even though Friday was the last day of the state's 2008-09 commercial shrimping season, many shrimp boats never left the docks at Jeremy Creek in McClellanville.
The Post and Courier
A sign of the current times in the S.C. shrimping industry - a row of boats remaining at the docks.
MCLELLANVILLE — Foreign competition and roller-coaster fuel prices didn't help South Carolina's beleagured shrimpers, who say they've ended their worst season on the water since 2005.
"Fuel prices were bad, but shrimp prices were just as bad as the fuel," said boat-mate Mark Hancock, 24, of the "Betty H."
Hancock comes from a family of shrimpers, but said he's having second thoughts about keeping with it. For all his stress, uncertainty and hard work, his take-home pay averaged $10 an hour, he said.
"We're the lowest men on the totem pole and the hardest workers on the whole dock," he added. "We caught some shrimp this year but the price wasn't constant."
The state's nine-month commercial season officially ended Friday and will kick up again in the spring.
Part of the local fleet gave up early this year or moved on long before the closing bell. Most were diverted by the recent cold snap or opted to chase opportunities farther south, mainly Florida.
"Everybody is sick of their boats and sick of shrimp season and fed up with everything," said Jeff Massey, operations manager at Livingston's Bulls Bay Seafood, as he pointed toward quiet docks.
Reasons for the poor season abound. Pressures from overseas competition remained constant, but fuel costs were an even bigger drag. Though prices ebbed late in the season, July diesel costs ran more than $4.70 a gallon, double the previous year.
The price doesn't include the add-on road taxes drivers pay at land pumps.
Throw in the cost of a crew and ice, and profits disappeared. "If you didn't catch 300 pounds (per trip), you weren't breaking even," Massey said.
In the good days of South Carolina's shrimping industry, as short as 12 years ago, there seemed to be enough shrimp for everyone, and gas prices weren't the great gouger they are today.
Since then, the number of boats here has dwindled sharply. As late as 2007, the tally of state commercial trawling licenses was a third of what it was 15 years ago, with under 360 license holders.
"I remember seeing 30 boats off the harbor one morning," recalled Clay Cable, vice president of the S.C. Shrimpers Association. "It's very rare to see more than two or three boats now."
No one is sure where this season's haul will finish. The Department of Natural Resources said shrimpers landed 1.5 million pounds of shrimp in 2007, according to media reports, while figures for 2008 are not yet available.
Cable said modern-age pressures are too many, starting at the bottom with a recreational shrimp-baiting season that begins in the nurseries, and at the top, from farm-raised catches and imports.
Unless the native fleet can right itself, the numbers of South Carolina home-ported boats will fade quickly, he said.
"You've got a few people that are going to hang on, that are going to make it," he predicted. "But the real chance to make any profit shrimping is gone because the prices have been driven down so hard."
Massey said he's seen shrimpers already take steps to find other lines of work, while previously, a good shrimp season might mean more time off. Some have immediately jumped into other jobs, such as oystering.
Cable said he's not overly optimistic about the future, and he related the story of a shrimping friend, a boat captain in good health, who has shrimped nearly four decades, but recently opted to give it up completely.
He sold his boat to someone in Trinidad.
Reach Schuyler Kropf at skropf@postandcourier.com or 937-5551.
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CedarPosts (anonymous) says...
No surprise here, sad and its going to get worse.
But I refuse to buy the Imported Mushy Shrimp Harris Teeter sells.
HT should be ashamed.
More at:
http://cedarposts.blogspot.com/2008/0...
January 24, 2009 at 7:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Neponset (anonymous) says...
This is a sad story, I was fortunate to have spent my youth around Shem Creek and knew a lot of the people associated with this industry and even worked as a striker for a short time on a Shem Creek boat. Its has always been a hard life, but it looks like it has just gotten too hard.
I think local shrimp are the best and that is the only kind I buy - if I can't find them, than I do without.
January 24, 2009 at 7:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Neponset (anonymous) says...
Back when I was a teen, the typical shrimp boat was smaller and single rigged (ie pulled just one net). I know that you can never go back to the "good old days", but perhaps smaller boats, which require less power and a smaller crew (captain and striker) could work in these challenging time and focus on the local market (restaurants and farmers markets - I buy mine from Celeste Albers at the Charleston farmers market).
January 24, 2009 at 7:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Neponset (anonymous) says...
Cedar
Read your link, nice article and nice pictures - one question: You mention boats being built in Beaufort - is that SC or NC? There were a lot of NC boats in my time and the boat I worked on (Capt. Bob Magwoods Bulls Bay) was a North Carolina boat.
January 24, 2009 at 7:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
River_Rat (anonymous) says...
Since moving to this area I have tried the "local shrimp". It is excellent and I will never go back to the garbage they sell in the big chain stores. I bet if people who have never had the opportunity to try local shrimp were able to they would feel the same way. It is sad to see these workers having such a hard time. I wish them the best.
January 24, 2009 at 8:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eatmorecollards (anonymous) says...
Having spent some time back in the eighties shrimping. I quickly came to the following conclusions. Shrimping is hard work, its not glamorous and theres little or no money to be made at it. Everyone concerned would get a better return if existing shrimpers were paid not to shrimp, such as farmers are paid for soil banking. No new permits should be issued and boat owners should be encouraged with rewards to put their boats to other uses. I have always been appalled at the waste of sea life incurred during the trawling process. If a boat is lucky enough to catch 300 pounds of shrimp a day, it also means that several thousand pounds of all shorts of sea life has been eradicated.
January 24, 2009 at 8:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
River_Rat (anonymous) says...
hey eatmorecollards - you aren't one of those PETA freaks are you? Or perhaps vegan or vegeterian. You eat the collards - I will continue to eat shirmp & grits and all the other yummy shrimp dishes.
January 24, 2009 at 8:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Neponset (anonymous) says...
Eat
Your comment brings up some problems with trawling - by catch or trash and damage to the bottom. All types of fishing cause these problems - what is the answer - become a vegetarian? I remember Clarence Magwood pulling up his net and going home because he was picking up too much trash.
January 24, 2009 at 8:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Toots2U (anonymous) says...
I agree with River_Rat! I'm not from here either but will not eat anything but local shrimp. People that haven't tasted local shrimp, haven't tasted shrimp.
January 24, 2009 at 8:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
I have always loved the fresh local shrimp, but I never had the opportunity to work a shrimp boad. Yet, it always looked like a random sort of way to fish and wondered about the by-catch. Is it as bad as eat says?
January 24, 2009 at 8:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eatmorecollards (anonymous) says...
Haven't you guys heard. Sea roaches are not good for you. They are full of cholesterol.
Seriously though, even at my age, I get all I can use with a cast net and a recreational fishing license. Its good fun and I always share with friends and neighbors.
January 24, 2009 at 8:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Neponset (anonymous) says...
The
Don't know about the problem with by-catch, but random it is not. Shrimp boats drag a small net, called a try net, in addition to the main net(s). The try net is pulled frequently to see what is happening and the capt. adjust his course accordingly. The main net(s) is/are more difficult to pull and it/they stay in the water longer. Lets say 15 min vice 2 hr.
January 24, 2009 at 9:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
I don't care about the cholesterol. I am blessed with an overabundance of the good kind. It really tics the doc off whenever I am checked. I also use a cast net, but I don't go often. So, I do have to rely on the local shrimper boats for my fresh shrimp. I don't trust a lot of the roadside stands. Often it looks like they have been baiting, and that just tics me off. I don't mind the baiting, per se. I just think that the limits are way too high, and I know that it's illegal to sell baited shrimp.
January 24, 2009 at 9:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CedarPosts (anonymous) says...
Neponset
Both Beaufort SC and NC were big at building boats back in the day, turning out 20 or more per year. At one time Beaufort, SC was splashing as many if not more.
Ya'll talking about eating shrimp, makes me wonder what time does the Wreck open? or if your out of Folly there's Bowen's
http://www.bowensislandrestaurant.com/
January 24, 2009 at 9:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eatmorecollards (anonymous) says...
theronce, I don't do the baiting. To much trouble, I like the old fashioned way. You can do that anytime.
January 24, 2009 at 9:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Neponset (anonymous) says...
The
Unfortunately I am taking one of the Lipitor (sp?) Type drugs. Good comment on baiting - I do not cast my hand made net (made by me) over bait for a number of reasons which includes health issues (don't normally devain (sp?)) and do not buy from road side vendors - probably illegal and for health issues again.
Cedar
Thanks - didn't know that Beaufort SC once build shrimpers.
January 24, 2009 at 9:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abitskeptical (anonymous) says...
If you have children, teach them at a young age how to throw a cast net. Go seining with them from time to time.
My kids love to go casting. The older ones will take the younger ones. Not only is it good exercise, it is good family fun & on a bad day at least they end up with enough shrimp for a cocktail....or an interesting critter for the aquarium.
Nothing better than fresh caught creek shrimp cooked within an hour of catching.
January 24, 2009 at 9:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
abitskeptical,
When we were teenagers my friend and I used to go out in the creek and cast for shrimp. We would go home and fry them up for our boyfriends.
They ate them up like candy. What fools we were to be so nice to those silly boys. :)
January 24, 2009 at 9:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blackwoman (anonymous) says...
I'd like to see a labratory report on those imported shrimp.
They should be banned from entering the US. This family only eats local, nontoxic shrimp. Hang in there guys better days are ahead. I'll eat rice and beans 24/7 before eating a shrimp from China!
January 24, 2009 at 10:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
I checked the packages of shrimp in the local stores, and all of them came from China, Thailand, or Vietnam.
People were buying them up, because they were the buy one, get one free deals.
I don't care if they are giving them away, I wouldn't eat them.
January 24, 2009 at 11:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KidYendor (anonymous) says...
Thank you RTC for being nice to silly boys in your teen years. Nowadays the only way a man gets shrimp with the help of a woman is when they go to restaurants at his expense.
January 24, 2009 at 11:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yird (anonymous) says...
It does not take too much imagination to envision that what is happening in the shrimping industry could easily become common in other food related ventures as well as some essential services.
If farmers, because of repressive taxes and exorbitant operating costs stop growing, or people in the transportation industry curtail their operations for the same reasons, what would be on the shelves of the grocery stores for our consumption?
During WWII we had victory gardens in our combined effort to defeat a foreign enemy.
We may need victory gardens in a combined effort to defeat a domestic enemy.
For those who don't like to use commercial bait (fish meal UGH!)myself included, catch a good sized crab which is generally not to difficult, stomp it,throw it back in, wait a few minutes and cast your net over the feasting shrimp.
January 24, 2009 at 12:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yeahright (anonymous) says...
Local shrimpers need help marketing their product. Something similar to the "Buy Local Produce" campaign. Every decent restaurant in Charleston should offer local shrimp instead of imported or farm-raised. If they want to be supported by locals they should support locals themselves. And those claiming to serve local shrimp when actually serving frozen imports should be held accountable for false advertising.
January 24, 2009 at 1:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
preachlove (anonymous) says...
Excellent discussion! I remember going to Beaufort as a young boy to visit family. There was a dock that we would go to and "head" shrimp to make a few bucks. My aunt lived right on the water so there was always fresh shrimp in her house. Nothing like shrimp, grits and gravy in the morning. Oh, man, I miss those days.
January 24, 2009 at 2:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HomeGirlie (anonymous) says...
A way of life is going for generations of families. We can all go out there and get them, in't it nice we don't have to? Its a sad day for me.
January 24, 2009 at 6:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HomeGirlie (anonymous) says...
Yeahright has obviously never worked in a restaurant. You have to have CONSISTENT product (frozen crap from Ecuador). Fresh local shimp are rare in a restaurant.
January 24, 2009 at 6:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yird (anonymous) says...
YouTube - The British called - They want their guns back
January 25, 2009 at 7:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yeahright (anonymous) says...
Homegirlie-I've worked in F&B for 25 years. Just what is your point? That restaurant's have to serve consistently crappy food?
January 25, 2009 at 9:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
crankyyankee (anonymous) says...
The shrimping industry by catch in the Gulf of Mexico back in 2000 was over 400 million meteric tons. That's more than a few criiters!
January 26, 2009 at 9:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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