The unmistakable influence of Black fishermen in North Carolina's thriving seafood market

USA Today

01-05-2025

The unmistakable influence of Black fishermen in North Carolina's thriving seafood market
John Mallette grew up on the water. His father was one of the original developers of Ocean City — North Carolina's first Black-owned beach community. Fishing and hanging out at the beach were a way of life, he said. And when his mother went to Wilmington for her real estate work, she would drop him off at One Stop Bait & Tackle in Surf City. Owner Betty Warren taught him to head shrimp and cut fish.
"That was when I was six or seven," he said. "And I just never stopped."
Eventually, it led to a career that's taken him around the world, from fishing charters in the Caribbean to tuna markets in Japan.
Every week, Capt. Mallette, co-owner of the Jacksonville-based Southern Breeze Seafood, also travels around the state. He delivers fish to markets and colleges like the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he's planning to open his own restaurant on campus.
Part of the reason is to introduce a new generation to the importance of local seafood, he said.
'So many people have so little knowledge, so little perception about the people who bring their seafood to them, from the ocean to the plate,' said Barbara Garrity-Blake, president of NC Catch, an organization that supports and promotes the state's seafood industry. 'It's also a lot more diverse than meets the eye.'
A conversation between Mallette and Garrity-Blake led to an oral history project that documents some of these stories and contributions. Already, 'The African American Experience in North Carolina Seafood' exhibit has been in Wilmington and at the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum in Harkers Island.
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Garrity-Blake said she hopes the stories of these fishermen, processors, marketers, chefs and restaurateurs can help people across the state develop a greater appreciation for the bounty of the Carolina coast.
The project includes 14 portraits of people from Asheville to Wilmington. One local participant, Quincy Rhodes, is a fishmonger at Wilmington Seaview Crab Company. He talks to and educates the public every day about local crabs, oysters, fish and more.
"I thought it would be good to be a part of it," he said. "There are so many people in the industry that don't get recognition."
A history on the water
From colonial times, there has been a fishery industry in North Carolina.
'And it's always been a part of the Black experience here,' Garrity-Blake said.
Beginning in the 1760s, river herring in North Carolina were one of the largest commercial fisheries in the United States, with much of the catch shipped up north. It thrived until the late 20th century, she said. And coastal communities like Southport, Beaufort and Morehead City were major hubs for menhaden fishing.
'The fish were caught and then sent to factories where they were processed and made into fish meal, or fertilizer, and oil,' said Garrity-Blake, who wrote her dissertation on the menhaden fishery.
All aspects of these businesses, from the fishing to the processing, relied on Black labor.
'Often, it was the men who were fishing, and the women who were processing,' Garrity-Blake said.
The menhaden factories became known for their strong, fishy odor. The closing of factories like the Southport-based Brunswick Navigation Company were an early example of the competing interest on the coast. As more people moved to the area, they were less likely to want to live near a factory, she said.
A seat at the table
Those types of complications are just one of the challenges facing today's fishing industry. Those in the business are navigating increased demand, a booming population, coastal development and a fluctuating set of regulations. Some face even more challenges.
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'Growing up, all of my friends were fishermen, but you didn't see a lot of Black fishermen. I was usually the only Black guy on the boat,' Mallette said. 'One thing I learned travelling is that the best fishermen I saw were African American. But here, you don't see as many.'
The fishing community is also known for being territorial.
"There is a feeling that you have to pay your dues. But I know there was another layer, too, based on some of the names I was called," he said.
More recently, Herman and Quinnetta Manley were transitioning from the retail side of the business to commercial fishing in Hertford, N.C., when someone sunk their boat. It set them back a year, and they had to take jobs at FedEx and Chick-fil-A, as they replaced their engine.
And it's not just those on the water who face these challenges. Chef Keith Rhodes, of Catch restaurant, took an at-large seat on the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission in the interest of supporting local seafood from a culinary perspective. Instead, he got death threats, he said during a panel discussion for the project.
While not all of Quincy Rhodes' interactions with customers are pleasant, he said he believes that seafood has a way of bringing people together.
'Everybody eats seafood,' he said. "It's one thing you really see, working in a market. You see how people come together for a feast."
People from all races and backgrounds buy from Seaview Crab Company, which operates seven seasonal and full-time markets in the area. Quincy Rhodes didn't grow up in the business, but did go to high school with one of the market's managers. It turned out to be a good fit, and he was encouraged to learn as much as he wanted.
'I've learned so much over the years," Quincy Rhodes said. "About how the industry works, where it all comes from."
Growing opportunities
If there's one thing that Quincy Rhodes would like to see happen, is for the industry to grow.
"North Carolina has some of the best waters," he said. "I think there are a lof of things that can be done, a lot of opportunity."
His experience now includes everything from fish cutting to maintaining a clean environment. But he said he most appreciates his work in customer service.
Mallette said that for those willing to learn, and put in the work, there are opportunities to thrive. Getting seafood from local waters into local homes requires fishermen, truck drivers, processors, scientists, chefs, marketers and teachers.
"One thing about this industry is that it is 100% meritocracy," he said. "It's one where your criminal background doesn't matter, your education doesn't matter, your gender doesn't matter."
But adaptability does matter.
"The fishing industry has changed so much," Garrity-Blake said. "It's really moved from a high volume, low product dynamic to the opposite. Before, it was a lot of fish shipped mostly to the northern states. Now, more of our seafood is staying in the state."
But diners also have a lot of other options, too. She said that many local diners may be surprised at just how much of the shrimp in local stores, and even some restaurants, is shipped from overseas, often raised in questionable habitats, and is less healthy, she said.
'Local is the best,' Keith Rhodes said.
And all of the NC Catch participants agree that North Carolina seafood tastes better and supports a whole network of people behind the scenes. They also say that being successful means being more adept at changing technology and able to pivot as things change.
For example, the Manleys are not only fishermen, but also offer courses in the business and have added a mobile market that sells in underserved communities. Keith Rhodes said he is always thinking about new concepts, and has added food trucks to expand beyond his upscale restaurant. He also opened his more casual Tackle Box Kitchen in UNCW's dining hall. And Mallette has been working with the state's rice-growing and crawfish aquaculture industries. He also has his own line of seafood seasoning and gluten-free breading. He's hopes to open Capt. John's Seafood and Chicken in Wilmington next spring semester.
Meanwhile, one of the next steps for the NC Catch exhibit is a week-long celebration at The Hackney restaurant in Washington, N.C., with James Beard finalist Chef Jamie Davis. He'll be working with chef ambassadors from around the state, including chefs like manna's Carson Jewell and Catch's Keith Rhodes in Wilmington, to continue to spread the word about local seafood.
Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at [e-mail].