Grouper has been a fixture of South Carolina eating for what seems like centuries, but right now its harder to source than Iranian caviar.
When I had the locally caught grouper at McCradys in Charleston in December, I knew that it was relatively rare: much of the local fish served in the port city is frozen or trucked in from the Gulf of Mexico, even Mexico. But I didnt know Id be eating one of the last groupers to be caught in Southeastern waters for some time.
When I had the locally caught grouper at McCradys in Charleston in December, I knew that it was relatively rare: much of the local fish served in the port city is frozen or trucked in from the Gulf of Mexico, even Mexico. But I didnt know Id be eating one of the last groupers to be caught in Southeastern waters for some time.
As of Jan. 1, commercial and recreational fishing for most species of shallow-water grouper, as well as black sea bass, red porgy and red snapper, is closed in North Carolina, South Carolina, eastern Florida and Georgia for four to six months, after which strict catch limits will be imposed. According to the government, these species are in danger of disappearing entirely.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The New York Times
