NEW JERSEY GLEANING PROGRAMME

New Jersey Gleaning Programme – The Cape May County Board of Freeholders is the latest legislative body to support a programme that would allow the New Jersey fishing industry to donate discarded seafood to food banks, pantries, and soup kitchens, according to an article in WHYY.

Known as gleaning, the growing movement seeks to use the seafood (estimated at 20%) that is discarded by United States fisheries for consumption,  thereby increasing food security and reducing food waste.

“We in Cape May County are proud to support this initiative,” Cape May County Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton told WHYY. “The fishing industry is so important to our economy, and at the end of the day this can help people who are in real need.”

The New Jersey commercial fishing industry’s annual harvest is valued at more than $166 million, with over 107 million pounds of seafood harvested annually.

In New Jersey, 1.15 million people, including 375,000 children, are affected by food insecurity, according to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. The New Jersey legislature is seeking to combat hunger through a pending anti-hunger package.

The state’s farming industry is activity involved in collecting unused fresh food from farms between September and November and donating to various non-profit organisations.

The state legislature has adopted resolutions in support of gleaning. A 2015 resolution established the last week of September as “New Jersey Gleaning Week.” And in 2018, the body adopted another resolution to support a seafood gleaning program.

Members of the state’s commercial fishing industry have applied to the federal government for grants to establish the program. Toms River, Lavallette, and Bay Head have adopted resolutions in support of seafood gleaning.

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