Lowcountry Cuisine Spring 2018

lowcountry cuisine LC 35 www.LowcountryCuisineMag.com | www.CharlestonRecipes.com boats are based out of Shem Creek – a number that has dwindled rapidly from the nearly 70 boats that once docked on the picturesque creek in the heart of Mount Pleasant. “Nobody down there is looking for a handout,” Herald said of the remaining shrimpers and fishermen at Shem Creek, most of whom he knows personally. “I know how hard these guys work. When it’s not a good season, like this year, many shrimp boat workers had to go find other jobs because the money wasn’t there.” WAVE OF THE FUTURE Herald hopes to raise awareness about the situation at Shem Creek, and he said preserving this fishery will take investment from the city or even the private sector. Today, McClellanville survives as a shrimping community because of a facility there that can process shrimp. This makes it easier on shrimpers, who can unload their boats and then return to the water. “You can catch shrimp all day long, but if you bring the shrimp to Shem Creek, you have to figure out how to process it and get rid of it,” Herald said. His solution involves developing a cooperative with all local shrimpers, with set prices and an accessible shrimp- processing facility, perhaps near the Charleston Naval Station. This would give shrimpers less time on the dock and more time trolling the sea. “We have to figure out how to find other ways to make the shrimp industry survive,” Herald said. “But if someone doesn’t do something soon, there’s not going to be a Shem Creek.” To learn more, visit www.palmettotideshrimp.com or call 843-224-7289. Custom Bridal and Engagement Rings • Hand Engraving • Jewelry Repair and Alterations Antique Jewelry Restoration • Jewelry Appraisals • Diamond Brokerage Services 334 M East Bay Street • Charleston • 843-853-3968 | 86 Folly Road • Charleston • 843-769-2336 sohnandmcclurejewelers.com