All registered food banks throughout Newfoundland and Labrador under the umbrella of the Community Food Sharing Association, are eligible once again to apply for a special permit from the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture to accept and distribute donations of moose and caribou meat.
Permits will be available starting September 11. Meat can be donated up to one week after the close of the big game hunting season. Registered food banks wishing to apply for a permit should contact Wildlife Division officials at 709-637-2025.
Hunters can donate meat directly to participating food banks or through Share the Harvest NL, an organization that assists hunters, fishers and farmers, in donating locally sourced food.
All donated moose and caribou meat must be processed at government-licensed facilities. Participating food banks are responsible for managing the collection and distribution of the donated meat. Home-butchered or processed wild game is not considered acceptable for donation to food banks.
Hunters donating meat to participating food banks support the Provincial Government’s efforts to sustainably and responsibly manage big game and improve food security.
Quotes
“The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture is pleased to once again provide food banks throughout the province, with the opportunity to obtain permits to collect moose and caribou meat from hunters. Special thanks to Share the Harvest NL, the Community Food Sharing Association, Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association and Social Justice Cooperative NL, for their support. I encourage food banks and hunters to take advantage of this meaningful initiative that provides nutritious food to help those less fortunate.”
Honourable Derrick Bragg
Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
“This program provides food banks the opportunity to access much-needed, protein-rich moose and caribou meat for distribution to their clients. Hunters throughout the province are encouraged to support this initiative by contacting their local food bank to help the less fortunate. We wish all hunters a safe and successful season.”
Eg Walters
Community Food Sharing Association
“The hunters of Newfoundland and Labrador have a history of sharing their harvest with family, friends, and now food banks. We thank the many people and groups that shared our vision and supported us over the years to make this program a reality. We are counting on hunters’ generosity to donate moose or caribou meat to our program. Their donations will provide healthy nutritious meals to the food banks’ clientele.
Barry Fordham
Sharing the Harvest NL
“The Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association is very appreciative of the work that has been done by Sharing the Harvest NL and the Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, to allow wild game meat to be donated to food banks. We are an industry that welcomes up to 4,000 non-resident big game hunters to the province annually, who often have excess wild game meat. This meat can now be easily donated. In an effort to support this wonderful program, we have worked with the Community Food Sharing Association to identify and donate large capacity, stand-up freezers to food banks in St. Johns, Gander, Deer Lake, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Our donation allows these four food banks to have the capacity to accept, and safely store donated wild game meat, giving our clientele and all hunters with an avenue to give back to our communities.”
Cory Foster
Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association
“I am thrilled that we will once again be able to provide fresh moose and caribou meat to food banks across Newfoundland and Labrador. We look forward to working with hunters and food banks to expand the reach of this program, and feeding as many people as possible. Food security is still a huge issue in the province and this is one step in solving that problem.”
Debbie Wiseman
Social Justice Co-operative NL
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Media contacts
Craig Renouf
Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
709-637-2923, 640-6922
craigrenouf@gov.nl.ca
Eg Walters
Community Food Sharing Association
709-722-0130
cfsa@nl.rogers.com
Barry Fordham
Sharing the Harvest NL
709-687-5963
barfordham@live.com
Cory Foster
Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association
709-424-4425
coryfoster@nloa.ca
Debbie Wiseman
Social Justice Co-operative NL
709-771-5555
mrsdgrimes@gmail.com