What in the world does this have to do with shrimp? Well, nothing and everything. As our island develops and the few goods produced here diminish, we are becoming an economy based more on pure tourism. The choices to live green, as in buying food produced locally, create the smallest carbon footprint and buying locally as a way to assist this green lifestyle….these all become a little more difficult.
Over the weekend, I walked down the the water with my family again and once again, the changes seemed so much more obvious. We are considered the “Birthplace” of modern shrimping. See the google link for the search and you’ll literally find dozens of references. It is pretty funny to read some of the St. Augustine tourism sites showing NE Florida, not Fernandina as the birthplace, but I can understand. We are the second oldest town in Florida and, in my opinion, have a better beach, better downtown, better parks, are closer to a major airport, better golf, better food, 8 flags…lol….well, you get the idea. Our tourism is partly based on this….from the shrimp festival, to the thousands of tourists interesting in seeing a real shrimp boat…to the memorial at the foot of Centre Street. I find it surprising that so little attention goes to preserving working dock space and the future of Fernandina.
The line from the Joni Mitchell song just keeps popping into my head….”you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”. I find myself considering the growth of the island more and more….
Ethical consumption has to do with consuming the foods making the least impact negatively on the environment. The island and local economy seem to be moving in a direction making that kind of consumption more difficult.
