Shrimpin’ in the Lowcountry

The Shrimping Industry

Shrimp is the #1 seafood on American plates and is a staple of the Lowcountry’s coastal economy and heritage. Families and neighbors up and down the Lowcountry coast have long been dependent on the shrimp industry to make a living. Shrimping has been a mainstay of the Lowcountry since the 1920’s when the first shrimp packing house opened in South Carolina. By 1948, the shrimping industry boomed when shipping fresh shrimp by truck was common. During its heyday in the mid-1980’s as many as 1,500 trawlers were on the Lowcountry coastal waters. In recent years this number is more like 400-425 licensed trawlers.

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Are All Shrimp The Same?

South Carolina has two important shrimp species, brown and white shrimp. A third species, pink shrimp is relatively scarce. Long-time residents of the Lowcountry swear that they prefer the flavor of one species over another, but taste tests would probably show that few people can distinguish one from the other by taste alone. All three of the edible shrimp species look very similar but can be distinguished by careful examination of tail colors and subtle body features. Placed side by side, fresh White Shrimp appear lighter in body color than Brownor Pink Shrimps, thus the origin of the common names. The exact timing of the spawning period seems to be set by water temperature during spring, but White Shrimp typically spawn during May and early June with a few spawning as late as July and early August. The spawning of Brown Shrimp has never been officially observed. The size record for White Shrimp is just over 10 inches and was caught by a commercial shrimper in Lowcountry waters in July 1979. That shrimp probably was spawned in May the previous year and made it to 14-months old.

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How Are Shrimp Harvested?

Methods of harvest range from large commercial shrimp trawlers to fishermen casting or dropping nets. Shrimp are usually caught by a large trawl net pulled behind a boat in offshore waters. Once the shrimp are caught, they are iced or frozen. Many boats have converted from ice to brine freezing tanks and are now able to supply an excellent ‘fresh frozen’ wild-caught shrimp product. The commercial fishery in South Carolina is dominated by shrimp trawlers which range in length from 17-85 feet. The larger boats are the most recognizable and account for most of the shrimp caught. Trawling is allowed only in the ocean, except for limited periods during fall when trawlers may fish in the lower areas of the bays. Most shrimpers work within three or four miles off the beach. Shrimp can be caught off the bank, pier, dock, or by boat. The best time to catch shrimp is near low tide, when the water has receded from the marsh grass, day or night

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Local Shrimp Season?

The commercial shrimper has three basic seasons. Starting in May large white ‘roe-shrimp’ are available. This is a very short season of only 1-3 weeks. This season is opened when biologists determine that an adequate supply of eggs has been spawned. The second season is for Brown Shrimp. Around the middle of June the smaller but delicious Brown Shrimp begin. These shrimp grow in size as the summer progresses. Toward the middle of August, the Brown Shrimpstart to disappear.