Last spring, Charleston’s seafood scene was rocked by scandal. A SeaD Consulting investigation revealed that more than half of the city’s “local shrimp,” was anything but local. Forty of 44 investigated restaurants in the Charleston are were found to falsely claim their shrimp as local and fresh, according to SeaD Consulting’s report. But when a suit against the offending restaurants was brought to court, the case was dismissed by Judge Richard Mark Gergel in federal court, alleviating pressure from restaurants and creating discourse over whether any party was in the wrong.
Brian Jones, vice president of the South Carolina Shrimpers Association and current shrimper himself, has firsthand experience with the effects of genuine fraud.
“Shrimp fraud is not a victimless crime,” Jones said. “Think about the ones in Shem Creek, you know, they’ve been tying up there for generations.”…