Officials with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA), as well as state and local officials, paid a visit to Viking Village in Barnegat Light as a part of the department’s efforts to highlight the importance of seafood in the state.
The commercial fishing industry generated USD 6.2 billion (EUR 5.6 billion) for the state in 2018, according to stats from NOAA, placing the state at fifth in the U.S. for the value of its commercial fishing. Viking Village, a commercial seafood producer in Barnegat Light, New Jersey, works with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the various management councils to emphasize the state’s seafood.
“The Jersey Seafood industry is a tremendous benefit to the state’s economy with the responsible supply that is landed in our state each year,” NJDA Secretary Douglas Fisher said in a release. “New Jersey is among the leaders in the country in several seafood categories because of facilities like this one here at Viking Village that offer our hard-working commercial fishermen a viable path to successful seasons year after year.”
During the highlight, officials took a tour of facilities in the area and Secretary Douglas helped chef Peter Fischbach – past winner of the New Jersey State Seafood Championship – create a recipe from locally-sourced seafood.
New Jersey represents the nation’s largest quahog fishery, with 16.5 million pounds landed in 2017, and the second largest sea scallop fishery, with 11 million pounds landed. It’s also second in Atlantic mackerel, surf clams, and squid.
“We have a thriving seafood industry here in New Jersey and we want to ensure that it can last for generations to come,” Viking Village General Manager Ernie Panacek said. “We believe New Jersey has the best seafood and we are continually updating our facility to make it more convenient for our fishermen.”
Photo courtesy of New Jersey Department of Agriculture.
