Hunters can now donate moose, caribou meat to Newfoundland and Labrador food banks

Starting Monday, hunters in Newfoundland and Labrador can donate moose and caribou meat to the province’s food banks.

Thanks to efforts by local hunters and community groups, food banks can now obtain a special permit from the province’s Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture to accept and distribute moose and caribou donations.

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Sharing the Harvest N.L. board member and St. John’s hunter Barry Fordham has been working to get a program like this running since 2008, when he heard about a similar initiative in Nova Scotia.

He now has a six-foot-long freezer in his St. John’s home packed with frozen moose meat waiting to be given out to local organization and food banks.

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In an interview today, Fordham says he’s delighted that hunters will finally be able to share their harvest with people and families in need.

Eg Walters of the Community Food Sharing Association says he expects the new rules will bring much-needed high-quality protein into the province’s food banks.