County council says surf fishing ban will protect swimmers from sharks
Georgetown County, SC is one vote away from banning daytime surf fishing on the county’s beaches during the summer. The final vote is set to take place on July 22, 2025.
A ban would impact surf fishermen at Pawleys Island, Litchfield Beach, Murrells Inlet, DeBordieu and southern Garden City. And Huntington Beach State Park is located in Georgetown County.
Georgetown County administrator Angela Christian said the daytime ban would prohibit beach fishing between 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. May 1 through Sept. 30 every year. She added that the ban has been proposed for public safety reasons.
Apparently, council members believe that as long as surf anglers aren’t in the area, sharks aren’t either.
“This ordinance is put forward to safeguard swimmers, surfers and others in the water from sharks and other dangerous species,” Christian said.
One sticking point among council members is the Pawleys Island Pier, which is currently in need of repair suffered during a past hurricane.
“The way this regulation is written, that eliminates the use of that pier for fishing during that time period,” said councilman Raymond Newton. “I would hate for us to pass this, and they have big plans for it.”
Christian said the proposal, which calls for the ban in “waters along public beaches that are typically used for swimming, recreation, and surf fishing,” will be updated before the July 22 vote to include information about the pier.
Click this link to find contact information for Georgetown’s County Council.
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