THE SOUTH CAROLINA SEAFOOD ALLIANCE
SERVING YOU WITH INFORMATION AND EDUCATION ABOUT
SOUTH CAROLINA SEAFOOD.
"DO YOU KNOW?"
To whom do the fishes of the sea belong?
Dock space, imports, stringent regulations and reallocation of seafood resources from commercial to recreational synergistically depress the ability of local South Carolina watermen to stay in business. Globalization is here to stay and imports of seafood far outstrip the production of local harvesters. There is continuing jockeying for control of the wild-caught seafood resource.
To whom do the fishes of the sea belong? They belong to you and me. At least the ones within state waters and those in the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) claimed by the U. S. Government. The government is us therefore the resources claimed by our government are the property of the people. All people: me, you, we, us, we the people. Should the allocation of this state owned property be such that those living in the immediate vicinity of the coast have a greater claim on this state controlled resource?
Remember this as you shop for your family, looking for a high quality, good tasting local coastal South Carolina seafood product. Ask your grocer, waiter, waitress, “Do you have local seafood?”
Most of the seafood consumed in the U. S. is imported. Too many times these imports are sold as local or marketed in such a way as to suggest that it is local. Don’t be fooled. If you want local seafood ask for it. The price may be slightly higher but the informed choice is yours. Your fishermen and shrimpers fish today with an eye on tomorrow. South Carolina fishermen are highly regulated by state and federal statutes. All catches are weighed, counted, often times measured then reported to the proper authorities. All legally caught and sold seafood in South Carolina is harvested from a sustainable source or from a source that is recovering under close supervision of state and federal regulators. Most fisheries in the EEZ are restricted in the number of commercial boats allowed in the fishery. For example in the snapper/grouper complex a new entrant must buy two of the limited permits and turn one over to the government thus further reducing the commercial effort. Your support of locally harvested seafood both wild caught and aquaculture produced is a must if you want to maintain this excellent source of high quality protein.
Helena and West Fraser (Fraser Fox Fine Art) give checks totaling $3585.00 to Clay Cable, Chairman of the South Carolina Seafood Alliance (SCSA). Looking on is Megan Westmeyer, SCSA Board member.
West Fraser’s new series of paintings, “Support American Fishermen” is about a culture taken for granted and endangered. He said, “I feel the change in the air. In this dawn of global change due to environmental degradation and economic globalization, I find myself wanting to capture the remaining culture of the people plying the coastal waters that I have used as a back drop for the bulk of my life. We currently have fishermen willing to harvest for our tables, yet they are struggling to keep their businesses.” West’s self imposed question, “What can I do,” was answered with his series, “Support American Fishermen.” This is the first of an ongoing series of annual exhibitions in an effort to raise awareness of the need for support of sustainable food sources, predominantly local, but with global awareness.’
