Tag Archives: Davis Seafood in Sneads Ferry
Fewer shrimpers are hitting the water in North Carolina
You remember what Forrest Gump says after he becomes a shrimp boat captain: “Shrimping tough! “Well, that’s certainly true in North Carolina, where shrimp is the second-most commercially harvested seafood. The total dockside value of shrimp in the state in 2022, what seafood dealers pay before it gets sold wholesale, was about $10 million. That’s down from about $30 million in the 1980s and 1990s. The slip in value has led to a decline in the number of licensed shrimpers hitting the water, to the lowest on record in 2022. Reporter Johanna Still looked into what’s behind it all. more, >>listen or read<< 10:55
Shrimpin’ Ain’t Easy
Flicking heads off shrimp is one of the first jobs you learn when you’re born a Davis. Joseph “Jody” Davis remembers filling up a bucket of beheaded shrimp for his grandmother for a quarter when he was just 4 years old. “It wasn’t bad money in the ’70s,” he said, standing on the dock of Davis Seafood, the family business in Sneads Ferry. His 25-year-old daughter, Hannah, swiftly beheads a just-caught batch for a customer order. Muscle memory fills the bin. “We’ve been at this exact spot since 1949,” he said. “But we’ve been commercial fishermen for centuries.” The Davis Seafood office door is decorated with two stickers bearing the same mantra: “FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS EAT IMPORTED SHRIMP.” Customers notice it and laugh. “But it’s more than just comedy,” Davis said. “It’s a way of life for us. And if people just cast us aside, we’re done.” photos, more, >>click to read<< 16:12
76-year-old stays young building shrimp boat from scratch
Looking over the steel frame, William “Buddy” Davis explained his vision for his made-from-scratch boat. Pointing, he showed where the deck will be installed, the engine room, and a small window into the part where fish and shrimp will be kept in coolers. It’s a project the 76-year-old started last year, he said, and has worked on it on and off with his sons over time. It’s something fun for him to do between shrimping seasons. “That’s all we’ve ever done, fish and shrimp, work on boats,” Davis said of his family. “That’s all we know.” >click to read< video 16:52
