To the Editor:
To the organizers, volunteers, donors, and fisherman of the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby, we would like to thank you all for your participation in the senior fish distribution program. After reviewing our sign-in sheets, we estimate that over 95 individual households received fish, and that over 200 bags of fish were distributed. Please note that these numbers do not include family and friends of the seniors who benefited from this program through the sharing of the gift of fresh, local fish.
We would like to acknowledge the importance of this program and its value to our community. The fish distribution brings seniors from all over the island to our Senior Center, where they can then be informed of our services and be connected to both staff members and other community members. During the Derby we provide simple yet delicious recipes so that our seniors have fun while preparing and eating the fish that they might not be able to afford otherwise. This program serves in providing nutritious food to so many dinner tables, and serves various cultural, social, and health and wellness needs.
On behalf of Howes House and the greater Martha’s Vineyard Community, we thank you!
Tanya Larsen, assistant director
Up-Island Council on Aging
Although this program seems like a great idea, Striped Bass appear to be more and more difficult to catch up and down the East Coast … especially from the shore of MV … just check out the decline in size and weight of the Striped Bass being weighed in from shore (boat isn’t doing much better).
The anglers that are donating fish believe that they are doing a good deed by “feeding the less fortunate ” … which isn’t actually the case. I met a rather affluent man at Derby Headquarters a couple years back who was telling me about his LI home and his MV home … he then proceeded to tell me how he enjoys the “free” Striped Bass that he gets simply by showing his ID at the Senior Center. I find this disgusting, the anglers are unawaringly killing fish for the wrong reason. If the less fortunate citizens can not consume the amount of “daily catch” then the fillets should be vacuum sealed and frozen for them to eat at a later date instead of giving it to “any” Senior Citzen who will eat it.
Comments are closed.