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To: Bluedot Living
From: The Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust (MVFPT)
Subject: Island Fish for Island Families, and More Resources
Island Fish for Island Families
Food insecurity is on the rise on the Island. To help, the MVFPT is donating locally caught seafood to Island Grown Initiative to help provide healthy and delicious meals to our Islanders in Need. By donating, you can help create a new market for fishermen to sell their fresh catch, strengthen our local food network, reduce food waste, and make local seafood accessible to local families. Email info@mvfpt.org or visit MVFishermensPreservationTrust.org/Seafood-Donations.
Luke’s Legacy Loan Program
This program was named in honor of our late board member and fisherman, Luke Gurney. This program allows fishermen to purchase necessary fishing permits while paying for them over time as they use the permit to make income on the water. Since the launch of this program, we have expanded to help fishermen in the lobster, sea scallop, conch, black sea bass, and fluke fisheries.
Martha’s Vineyard Seafood Collaborative
In 2021 we purchased and re-opened a wholesale seafood market in Menemsha, which we call the MV Seafood Collaborative. We purchase seafood from approximately 55 local fishing businesses, while providing necessary waterside infrastructure (ice, unloading, gin boom, and refrigerated space). We continue to build and expand this program and plan to provide more seafood donations while continuing to offer a stable market for fishermen.
Our Community Supported Fishery share program runs out of our MV Seafood Collaborative headquarters in Menemsha and shares are picked up at the West Tisbury Farmers Market.
Fisheries Research
We work with universities and other groups to connect fishermen to scientific projects to help increase our understanding of stocks, species behavior, and how we can harvest in more sustainable ways. Currently we are working on an alternative to horseshoe crab bait in the whelk or conch fishery.
