At the Blue Marlin Restaurant in Columbia, executive chef and general manager Brian Dukes endeavors to use local seafood, and all other foods, as often as possible.
“You get it from a reputable source, somebody you can trust who’s done right by you in the past,” Dukes said. “It’s good to use things that are local. The quality of the product is better because it’s fresher.”
Dukes deals with small fishing operations as well as large regional food purveyors. The big companies in recent years have begun making it clear on their price lists where seafood originates, he said.
Dukes likes to spend his money with South Carolina providers, not just because their product is fresher but also because it’s good for the state’s economy. But he gets most of his shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico.
“There’s not enough shrimp produced in the state of South Carolina to support the demand,” Dukes said.
In that case, Blue Marlin won’t be allowed to call its shrimp “local.”
The bill defines “local seafood” as coming from South Carolina, North Carolina or Georgia. Bill sponsor Rep. Stephen Goldfinch, R-Georgetown, said that allows boat operators to not worry about whether they’ve crossed into neighboring state’s waters.
Whit McMillan, director of education at the S.C. Aquarium, doesn’t think deceptive seafood advertising is all that common. Many of the top restaurants in the state have joined the Sustainable Seafood Initiative, coordinated by the Aquarium to ensure local fisheries remain healthy.
“It’s important to support local fisheries, to support an industry that means a lot to South Carolina,” McMillan said. “The partners we work with do their dead level best to make sure they are serving local seafood.”
