Tag Archives: georgia coast

Georgia’s Shrimping Fleet Is at a Twenty-Year Low — Here’s Why Local Shrimp Still Matters

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Brunswick, GA |

It’s officially shrimping season off the coast of Georgia, where crews are hard at work pulling in the more than two million pounds harvested every year. But the number of vessels on the water has now shrunk to a twenty-year low — due in large part to the growing competition from overseas imports.

“Imported shrimp can generally come in at a lower cost, and that is one challenge Georgia shrimpers face. And because of the cost of just keeping a ship running — a fish house, fuel costs, time, workforce — they really need to be able to compete in the market and get the price they need to support their businesses,” said Erin Arneson, Seafood Specialist with UGA Marine Extension.

WHY LOCAL STILL MATTERS

While ninety percent of the shrimp consumed in the U.S. is imported, there is still meaningful room in the marketplace for Georgia’s local, wild-caught product — and for consumers willing to seek it out, the difference is worth it.

“It’s going to be fresher a lot of times, and it’s really high in nutrients. When you know where your food is coming from, you can also trust the safety of it,” Arneson said. “It’s really good to get to know the people who are producing the food you’re eating — so you can feel good not only about what you’re eating, but about supporting the people who make that possible.”

PROCESSING CAPACITY UNDER PRESSURE

Supporting Georgia shrimp also means supporting operations like Anchored Shrimp Company, which grades, packs, and peels freshly caught shrimp to meet consumer demand. That kind of processing infrastructure is becoming increasingly rare as coastal development continues to squeeze out working waterfront space.

“The other challenge Georgia shrimpers face is the demand for already peeled and deveined shrimp, which requires a great amount of processing, working waterfront space, water resources, and more,” Arneson said. “As our coastlines change and get developed without thinking about the seafood industry, a lot of that capacity to provide the market with what it wants for domestic shrimp becomes very hard.”

EVERY LOCAL DOLLAR COUNTS

Even though Georgia shrimp may cost a little more at the store, those local dollars go a long way toward supporting an industry that has been struggling for more than a quarter century — and one where domestic supply simply cannot keep up with demand.

“The United States does not currently capture enough shrimp to fulfill consumer demand. Imports will probably always be here,” Arneson said. “But the thing is, we need to make space for Georgia shrimp in the market as well.”

For Georgia’s shrimping communities, the season may be short and the competition steep — but the case for choosing local, wild-caught shrimp has never been stronger.

By: Damon Jones

Georgia Shrimpers Struggling to Stay Afloat

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Brunswick, GA |

Ask any visitor to the Georgia coast what they’re hoping to eat, and seafood will likely to be the overwhelming favorite, specifically freshly caught shrimp. However, the industry has really struggled over the past year, due mainly to overseas competition.

“It’s no secret that shrimp’s the number one type of seafood we eat here in this country and that there’s a large dependence on foreign shrimp, but because of the pandemic, and because of market shifts, you had a lot of foreign shrimp flood the market this past year that weren’t able to in previous years get here. That just overabundance of imported shrimp coming into the market really made it challenging for our domestic industry to really move their products,” says Bryan Fluech, Associate Marine Director at UGA.

For that reason, shrimpers have either had to find creative ways to market their products like direct-to-consumer sales and prepackaged meals or get out of the business completely.

“When you take into all the overhead costs of maintaining your boat, trying to find a crew, being able to get a price that can compete with what you see on the foreign level, it really makes it challenging economically for a lot of the industry members to stay in it,” says Fluech.

That’s why buying local whenever possible is so important despite the higher price tag, as you’re not just paying for quality and freshness, but also supporting the Georgia economy.

“When consumers go to the grocery store and they see why is this shrimp so much more expensive than one that might come from another country, you got to realize what goes into that from the minute it’s harvested, to handle, process and distributed. I think that’s a key message. Every time you buy that local shrimp or that domestic product, you’re helping to provide some economic stability in a very challenging environment right now for our industry,” says Fluech.

It’s been that way for the past decade, which is why the future of Georgia’s shrimping industry is in such doubt, with the next generation looking for other options.

“Traditionally, shrimping and a lot of our commercial fishermen, these are typically traditions that were passed on through generations. A lot of that younger generation are saying, ‘we’re not going to get into it.’ So, there is that concern of where is our industry going to come from. Because it’s not just the, the fishermen themselves, but do we have the processors? Do we have the distributors? I mean, when we look at our food systems, whether we’re talking about a land based ag product or a fish, we have to have an intact food system and that is something that has made it more and more challenging for people to stay in,” says Fluech.

It’s a harsh reality that could have a major impact on a number of communities along Coastal Georgia.

“This is part of that identity of the Georgia coast when they come here. Being able to see these shrimp boats or somebody harvesting crabs, that’s something not only from a cultural aspect, but from an economic aspect that a lot of our smaller coastal communities vitally depend on and it has ramifications through tourism and other sectors along our coast,” says Fluech.

By: Damon Jones

A Look at Aquaculture and Georgia’s Coastal Oysters

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Savannah, GA |

While shrimping has been a staple of the Georgia coast for more than a century, there could be a new player in town thanks to the husband-and-wife team of Laura and Perry Solomon. Coming off their first harvest season, the Tybee Oyster Company is a culmination of an idea years in the making.

“Actually, in college, we would come down here on the weekends and go harvest wild oysters. So, to us, they’re a taste of home. I mean, it never really occurred to us that people wouldn’t think the same. They’re a lot harder to get when you have to go stand in the mud and pick ax them, but they’re a taste of home for us. They’re a phenomenal oyster. So, we’re really excited to see it on a plate in restaurants,” says Laura Solomon, Tybee Oyster Company.

One of the reasons for their success is all the time and effort that goes into maintaining this floating oyster farm throughout the year. It’s a production practice that allows for more quality control without sacrificing any of the nutrition.

“Floating oyster farm just means that instead of the oysters growing wild in the banks in clumps, they’re actually floating on the surface of the water. And depending on what region you’re in, different areas do it slightly differently. But for us, they sit in that top part of the water column where all the nutrients and algae are flowing through. We have a lot of wave energy on our lease,” says Solomon.

The Tybee Oyster Company is a pioneer when it comes to promoting the oyster industry here in Georgia, as it is the first of what is likely to become many such businesses along the coast.

“2019 there was legislation passed asking the DNR to create a framework for farmed oysters. The first leases were issued in 2022 and were the first lease holders farming. And that began in 2023. So, from a regulator standpoint it’s been a of a slow road, but with the support we’re seeing, I think it’s going to kind of take-off pretty quickly,” says Solomon.

Another reason for optimism is the acclaim these oysters are already receiving from both restaurants and their customers for its unique taste that can only be achieved by growing them here on the Bull River.

“We call them salt bombs. That is an apt name. They are very briny with kind of a sweet finish in the adductor muscle, but in addition to the brininess, you can see the local spartina grass that’s everywhere. So, they do have kind of that lemongrass note you’ll pick up on. They’re definitely not as minerally as an oyster from the Northeast and it’s really cool. You talk about wine and how it tastes based on where it’s grown, oysters are very similar to that,” says Solomon.

While it’s that taste of home that initially drew the Solomons into the oyster business, it’s their drive and passion for producing locally sustainable and eco-friendly seafood that motivates them every day.

“We are into sustainability and helping to support our ecosystem for the next generations. Oysters are great food source to do that. They’re one of the greenest proteins on the planet. So, that’s one motivation. Another is we’re passionate that local food is kind of the last standing souvenir in an economy when you can buy anything from anywhere. You travel and you have local food, or you grow up in an area and have local food, it’s a lot more meaningful in this day and age. So, we wanted to get Georgia Seafood back on the menus,” says Solomon

By: Damon Jones.