Rising costs of gas and diesel are causing South Carolina's shrimpers to park the boats, increasing the dependence on imported shrimp in restaurants and grocery stores.
Wild American Shrimp, a nonprofit group dedicated to the shrimping community, has partnered with several other SC groups to help promote and preserve our shrimpers and the wild shrimp they provide.
Billboards will be appearing throughout Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Hilton Head with the message of "buying local", and the grocery chains of Harris Teeter and Kroger have agreed to sell and distribute information about the economic and health benefits of fresh-caught shrimp over the often frozen imports.Where do most shrimp that we eat come from? Hold your cookies... China, Vietnam, and South America! Don't you know that's some fresh seafood? Yuck!
And now to the title of this article - how are chickens involved?
More and more shrimp boats are shutting down due to high fuel costs and having to compete with the (as usual) unrealistically cheap prices of the overseas competition. But there is an answer or at least help for the problem of fuel...Bio-Diesel.
Biodiesel is made from chicken fat, soybean, corn or vegetable oil. One Bluffton shrimper reports that it lessens the motor power by about 5 to 10 percent, which isn't a big deal, but says you can mix it with regular diesel to lessen any problems. He says the motor runs fine unless it gets too chilly - under 60 degrees and tends to "gel" in the lines.
One provider of the fuel is in Charlestown, and they actually deliver to the boats. It's not the answer to a prayer...only about 50 cents per gallon cheaper than regular diesel. When you use 3000 gallons of fuel every two weeks, as shrimpers often do, it can certainly help.
I don't think we'll be seeing chickens replacing those cows in the commercials that hold up signs saying "Eat Mor Shrimps", now that they've found yet another use for America's favorite meat.
This was off-topic for a Myrtle Beach Real Estate blog, I know, but I thought it was interesting enough to share!
