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MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) - The town of Mount Pleasant will preserve one of the last shrimping docks on Shem Creek through a $2.5 million appropriation endorsed by Senator Lindsey Graham.
Mount Pleasant purchased this dock back in 2019 to help maintain and ensure safe conditions for shrimpers. They are currently going through the first phases of approval for this project.
The plan is to approve the structures that are holding the docks up and once that is done, they want to reconstruct the area around the dock to make it safer for local shrimping companies. Mount Pleasant leaders say their top priority is to ensure the safety of the shrimpers, so they can continue their business.
“They are certainly going to be noticeable to those people using those docks as a working dock day in and day out,” Assistant Town Administrator Christiane Farrell said. “So, for them, this ensures continued business in support of the shrimping industry, which is really kind of the town’s purpose when we purchased these. We had the opportunity to buy this property several years ago. It was to show continued support for that industry.”
Farrell emphasizes that the safety of its shrimpers is a top priority.
“They receive a lot of wear and tear,” Farrell said. “Tides are coming in and out. It’s the mouth of the creek. They had a lot of deferred maintenance prior to us taking ownership and were really in need of repair. It’s important to us, the town, the town council to keep those docks operational and continue to support the shrimping industry.”
Tarvin Seafood is the business that sits right on this dock. Over the years, they have had to make minor repairs to the dock themselves, but they say they fear that if a big storm comes, the dock will be gone.
Cindy Tarvin, one of the owners of Tarvin Seafood, says she is eager for the plan to get approved.
“I think if the town desires to keep a maritime community of working waterfront, then I think it’s probably one of the most important things they need to do,” Tarvin said. “Whether it’s for us, Tarvin Seafood, or any other entity that would be managing that would be running a dock and a fishing business out of it.”
The town still needs approval from a few more senators before they can officially get their money. They hope to start the dock reconstruction by the beginning of 2023.
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