To the Editor:
On Tuesday, June 9, the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group (MVSG) celebrated our 50th clamiversary with a community party at the Grange Hall. It was on that day in 1976 that Rick Karney started his 40-year journey as the shellfish biologist and director of MVSG. In that time, he developed a community-driven nonprofit with international recognition. While downstairs at the Grange Hall was adorned with posters and food, libations, a raw bar, and a touch tank of bivalves and other sea creatures, upstairs we showcased our new film — celebrating the first 50 years of the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group, produced and filmed by Circuit Films’ Ollie Becker and Tim Persinko. Guests ventured up to watch this eight-minute film as it played on a loop, or shared a story and a cupcake with fellow shellfish warriors: Rick, Emma, the MVSG board, staff, and volunteers downstairs.
This film was funded by a NOAA EEBlue Aquaculture Literacy grant awarded to MVSG in 2024, and touches on the importance of shellfish for our Island community over the years. We were honored to dedicate this beautiful film to Roy Scheffer and Trisha Bergeron, whose lives were tragically lost in a fishing accident on Jan. 1, 2026. Their love for fishing and the Shellfish Group will not be forgotten.
We are so grateful for the community’s support, specifically the Vineyard Preservation Trust, Circuit Arts, the M.V. Seafood Collaborative, Martha’s Roysters, Spearpoint Oysters, and Jim’s Package Store, for their contributions to this event.
Please visit our website (mvshellfishgroup.org) or social media to find more ways to support and connect with MVSG in our 50th year! With your commitment, generosity, and belief in our mission, we will continue to sustain the Vineyard’s shellfish legacy for the economic, ecological and cultural well-being of the Island community for generations to come.
Danielle Ewart, president
Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group