River Shrimp
By Ben Williams

Over the years the question has remained the same, “Are those river shrimp?” But the reason for the question has changed. Almost 30 years ago, when I first worked in a fish market, the customers wanted river shrimp. They knew that shrimp from the river had a different texture and a slightly different taste to them. The customer didn’t know that what they called river shrimp were actually juvenile Atlantic White shrimp or that the slightly different taste and texture was the result of the shrimp living in, what was many times, almost freshwater. They just knew they liked them.

Today our customers will ask the same question, but for a significantly different reason; they don’t want river shrimp. They’re skeptical of the safety of river shrimp. They’re skeptical of any seafood coming from our river.
That’s a sad thing, for our St. Johns is still a magnificent and productive estuary. It nurtures not only shrimp but many other commercially valuable fish and crustaceans. Just as importantly though, our river also nurtures and sustains the fisherman who have traditionally, and sustainably, harvested them for our tables.

Having been a commercial fisherman, and for the last 25 years worked in and owned fish markets, it’s been clear to me for a long time that if we are to sustain, not only the fish and shrimp and crabs, but the fisherman who harvest them, then we need to protect our river. When you harvest seafood for a living, it becomes quite clear that if the underlying environment is not healthy, your economic prospects aren’t going to be healthy either.

It was with that understanding that I drove down to the University of Florida’s Whitney Lab in Marineland one evening seven or eight years ago. I didn’t know exactly what a Waterkeeper was but I knew that the existing environmental efforts, some of which I had been a part of, had not been very effective in protecting our river. That first organizational meeting was not overly encouraging. As we all know, when you put recreational fisherman, commercial fisherman and an environmentalist together in a room there is a certain initial tension, and in that little room it was tense.

Fortunately though there were a few folks in that little room who saw the big picture and understood what needed to be done. The birthing process was painful, but successful. St. Johns Riverkeeper emerged. Over the years we’ve managed to stay focused on our mission: clean and healthy waters in the St. Johns River.

And it’s that vision that brings me back to the question, “Are those river shrimp?” Our job is to turn back the clock on that question so future generations will reap the benefits of a healthy St. Johns River.