Visitors to Charleston may have a tough time deciding which renowned restaurant to try first, but they’ve probably already decided on the menu: seafood.
Particularly the land-locked visitors will be eager to get a taste of fresh, local seafood. And fall is the just the time to do it. Whit McMillan, director of education at the South Carolina Aquarium, said this time of year is perfect for seafood because so much is in season.
Shrimp, blue crab, wreckfish, swordfish, black sea bass plus shellfish like oysters and clams are all fall crops.
Just like fruits and vegetables have a season so does seafood. So it’s important to know what’s in season and to eat locally and sustainably. The South Carolina Aquarium partners with local restaurants that commit to serving only sustainable seafood.
“What we want to achieve is fish for the future,” McMillan said. “We want to make sure the excellent seafood dishes we enjoy now are available for future generations.”
The aquarium’s restaurant partners don’t serve Chilean sea bass, any imported shark or orange roughy. Those species are slow growing and don’t produce many young.
By knowing what’s in season, visitors can support those restaurants serving local seafood and, by extension, support the local fishing economy that is a vital piece of Lowcountry culture and history.
“Seafood and history in this area are really linked,” McMillan said. “Preserving seafood is very much like preserving history and in Charleston we’re all about preserving history. What would Shem Creek be without all the shrimp boats? Preserving our fish and our fishermen is pretty important.”
Fall: What’s in Season?
- Shrimp
- Vermilion snapper
- Red porgy
- Clams
- Oysters
- Grouper (red and black are not sustainable)
- Blue crab
- Triggerfish
- Swordfish
- Wreckfish
- Striped sea bass
- Black sea bass
- King and Spanish mackerel
- Amberjack
