Understanding a changing crustacean fishery through industry perspectives and ecological insights

Fishers’ local knowledge can complement scientific information to improve understanding of fishery systems and enhance resource management. Shrimps in the genus Penaeus are ecologically important species in coastal areas globally, and populations of penaeid shrimp support economically valuable fisheries. In the coastal zone of the states of Georgia and South Carolina in the southeastern United States, referred to here as the ‘Lowcountry’, the fishery for these species is facing a series of challenges that have impacted landings. Concurrently, the stocks that support this fishery are facing increasing environmental variability. Here, we integrate the perspectives of commercial shrimpers as well as researchers studying shrimp populations and their associated fisheries from diverse lenses, ranging from anthropology to fisheries science to population ecology, focusing on the period since ~ 1980. We quantify trends in landings for white ( P. setiferus ) and brown ( P. aztecus ) shrimp and then outline challenges faced by this fishery, many of which are shared by other fishery systems. We also summarize recent natural science findings regarding shrimp population ecology. We find general overlap between the perspectives of commercial shrimpers with natural science data describing shrimp populations and their environment, particularly as it relates to warming temperatures and changes to shrimp size. Our effort to bring together diverse perspectives about a changing fishery can serve as a framework for other shrimp stocks, as well as other fisheries undergoing comparable changes and facing similar challenges.