CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The South Carolina Aquarium is leading a new initiative called the Good Catch Seafood Connection alongside various partners to tackle food insecurity in the Lowcountry region.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, South Carolina ranks in the top ten states in America with the highest level of food insecurity, sitting at 12.6% of the state’s citizens in food crisis.

Not only will the project combat food insecurity, but organizers say it will also create steady business for local fishermen, keep seafood in local circulation, reduce the region’s carbon footprint, and invest in local culinary programs.

The project is predicted to provide over 5,000 meals annually for food-insecure citizens.

“One aim of Good Catch is to break down barriers of access to local and sustainable seafood, but we can’t do it alone. This collaboration provides a great solution. We are so thankful to have a cohort of community experts to help provide a lean and healthy, locally and sustainably sourced protein to our food-insecure neighbors,” said Dr. Sara McDonald, director of conservation at the South Carolina Aquarium. “A community-driven approach is what will make this program successful.”

The aquarium will buy 160 pounds of seafood monthly from local Cherry Point Seafood. This purchase will be distributed between the Culinary Institute of Charleston at Trident Technical College and One80 Place.

Culinary students at Trident Technical College will prepare and package their portion, then send the seafood to the Lowcountry Food Bank, where it will be distributed to food-insecure neighbors. The amount sent to One80 place will be prepared by trainees in the culinary program and sent to their community kitchen.  

To learn more about this initiative, visit: https://scaquarium.org/conservation/goodcatch/