Who we are
The South Carolina Seafood Alliance is a not for profit trade
organization promoting the sustainable catching and/or production of seafood in
state and from the adjacent ocean waters. Reference to local South
Carolina seafood as used here includes fresh and saltwater aquaculture and
wild-caught seafood. The Alliance serves the consumers and seafood
industry by encompassing all aspects of the system with a diverse board of
directors representing producers, commercial docks, wholesale, retail and
environmental concerns..
There are three distinct and somewhat overlapping zones where South Carolina aquatic products are harvested and grown. Fresh water fish are grown in many areas of the state. Mariculture is the growing of fish, shrimp and shellfish in saltwater on land and in the ocean in state controlled ocean waters out to three miles. The third area of production is in the open ocean within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and it is from 3 to 200 nautical miles offshore. This area is controlled by the federal government. South Carolina's freshwater fish and mariculture products plus the harvest from the open ocean provides the State's citizens with an abundant supply of good tasting, safe, healthy, high quality protein.
The U.S. EEZ
The
United States EEZ extends 200 nautical miles offshore,
encompassing diverse ecosystems and vast natural
resources, such as fisheries, energy and other mineral
resources. The U.S. EEZ is the largest in the
world, with over 13,000 miles of coastline and
containing 3.4 million square nautical miles of ocean,
larger than the combined land area of all fifty states.
Yet over 80% of all seafood consumed in this country is imported.