The Massachusetts Aquaculture Association posthumously honored Roy Scheffer as a “founding father” of the aquaculture industry on Martha’s Vineyard.
The Golden Oyster award was presented in his memory and accepted by two of his children, Isaiah and Martha Scheffer, at the group’s annual meeting on Friday in Wareham.
Roy Scheffer and his partner, Patricia (“Trish”) Bergeron, died on New Year’s Day in a boating accident while dragging for bay scallops off Edgartown.
“This year’s award, I’m very sorry to say, will be awarded posthumously to one of the founding fathers of oyster farms on Martha’s Vineyard,” the association’s speaker said.
Scheffer was a commercial fisherman for 27 years offshore, but when regulations tightened in the mid-1990s and the industry virtually collapsed, he turned inshore, and was one of the first four displaced fishermen that worked through a grant from the Island’s shellfish group to test different shellfish that could grow in shallow waters. Now, oyster farming is a multimillion-dollar industry on the Island.
Martha Scheffer, who now runs her father’s Katama Bay oyster farm, said in a social media post, “It’s such an honor for him to be recognized as a great fisherman, farmer, and human being. He had touched so many lives, spread so much knowledge, helped many fishermen and fellow farmers, as well as being a great dad.” She added in an interview with The Times that the oyster farming business on the Island wouldn’t be where it is today without him.
The plaque on the award reads, “In recognition of his enduring contributions to shaping the character and direction of aquaculture on Martha’s Vineyard; his unwavering commitment to supporting his community; and his generous willingness to share his deep knowledge of aquaculture and fishing over decades of involvement in the growth and development of shellfish aquaculture in Massachusetts.”
Cigars at Trader Fred’s. Easy.