"F" is for Fishing, commercial. With extensive estuaries and barrier islands, the coastal areas of South Carolina are important regional nurseries for fisheries. The state's commercial fisheries are characterized by small-scale, individual operators harvesting primarily shrimp, offshore finfish, blue crabs, and oysters. Shrimping is the state's largest fishery. The two major shrimp crops are brown shrimp, caught in early summer, and white shrimp, harvested in late summer and throughout the fall. The second most important fishery is offshore finfish—swordfish, mahi-mahi, grouper, snapper, and other deep-water fish. This fishery is limited because of the distance between local ports and the Gulf Stream. Like the other fisheries the blue crab industry and oystering have seen better days. Increased competition from abroad and alternative employment opportunities in the lowcountry have contributed to the decline in the commercial fishing industry.
"F" is for Fishing, commercial
