South Carolina is pondering to boost its seafood market by partnering with celebrity chefs and educating restaurants over what’s local and in-season. Megan Westmeyer, coordinator of the Sustainable Seafood Initiative, said that seventy percent of all seafood is sold in restaurants and so they have a lot of power. More than 60 seafood and aquaculture backers gathered in Charleston to float ideas how best to sustain an industry operating under increased pressure, largely from overseas competition.
It was decided to stress on the “local” brand, contending there can be a profitable demand created for visitors and residents if the campaign is done right. Good marketing points are that local products are fresh, safe to eat, and tasty, officials said, versus the cheaper imports coming in from fleets based overseas. Jack Whetston, an extension aquaculture specialist with Clemson University, said that they have a customer base that’s there. He added that another suggestion was to expand marketing opportunities by featuring South Carolina’s coastal fishing villages as tourism destinations.
Experts say that fishing towns give “a face to the industry and people want to come to the dock. They want to see the catch being unloaded. By most accounts, South Carolina’s seafood industry is in a severe time of stress, with the shrimp fleet in decline and fewer people making a living off the water. The average age of a commercial seafood industry worker here is about 54, and every year more young people are opting to earn a living elsewhere.
