The Seafood Initiative is a long-term partnership between the seafood industry and America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network. Developed by SeaShare, Inc., this initiative generates new volumes of high-protein seafood for low-income families in communities across the country.

Donations of protein-rich foods are relatively scarce and most in demand by America’s Second Harvest network members. The Seafood Initiative brings a high quality, highly nutritious source of protein that is vital to the health of those served by network members. 

America's Second Harvest's goal is to distribute manufactured, packaged goods that are in a ready-to-use form.  The Seafood Initiative subsidizes the cost of processing fish into manageable portions and useable forms, minimizes the transportation costs of moving this product to food banks, and reduces warehousing costs for storing quantities of fish.

SeaShare (www.seashare.org) is our partner and link to the seafood industry. SeaShare's relationship with the seafood industry provides an avenue for America's Second Harvest to communicate its needs for these valuable protein products. 

In 1993, SeaShare led the effort to amend fishery management regulations in Alaska – the largest fishery in the country – to allow the retention of bycatch for distribution through hunger-relief agencies. The success of these efforts won national recognition and was lauded on network television as well as the New York Times, People Magazine, and Oprah. With broad seafood support and input, SeaShare began developing additional seafood donation programs, tailored to the capabilities of various individual seafood companies and industry groups. Today, we provide a variety of seafood to hungry American’s including but not limited to Catfish, Canned Salmon, Fish Sticks, Frozen Salmon Steaks and Halibut.

Our “Day of Fish” education initiative has helped both hunger-relief agencies and households to become more comfortable with handling and preparing seafood. This is accomplished through interactive training workshops with an America's Second Harvest network members and their affiliate agencies.  The workshops provide information to attendees about the nutritional value of the fish, recipes and meal planning, and food safety and handling methods. This program is subsidized by America’s Second Harvest and is provided at no cost to network members.

For more information about the Seafood Initiative, please contact Shelly Elfstrom at 312.641.6531.

Fast Facts

• In 2006, the Seafood Initiative provided more than 13 million servings of high quality protein to needy American’s.
• Despite donated or low cost freight, it cost the America’s Second Harvest Network over $150,000 to transport fish throughout the U.S.
• We have provided over 40 educational events through the “Day of Fish” program to hunger-relief agencies served by network member food banks.
• One of the Seafood Industries successful causes has been through their hunger relief efforts.