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“Man, you all are
some kind of fishermen...caught all these big fish with no pole, and
no bait!”
 This
phrase was repeated in amazement several times by a man helping to
unload an ice chest containing 200 pounds of Arctic Char at the
local Union Rescue Mission in Martinsburg, WV. That same morning an
identical chest was unloaded at the Union Rescue Mission in
Hagerstown, MD. According to Sonny Shank, director of the Hagerstown
mission, the fish are a welcome alternative to the little bit of red
meat and poultry that the mission typically gets.
At 3 to 5 pounds
each, the fresh fish were the result of a combined effort between FHFH
and the Freshwater Institute of Shepherdstown, WV. In
 January,
MD FHFH Director Josh Wilson was contacted by his friend John
Davidson, a Research Associate at the institute, who was looking for
groups interested in using fish to feed the hungry. The two began a
search for programs that could use the fish directly, as well as
processing plants that could filet the fish for use by regional food
banks. The initial fruits of this effort include the two rescue
missions—both of which can use several hundred pounds of fish each
month. A man at the Martinsburg mission said that the fish would be
eaten within days, and he expressed hope that there would be more to
come!
The Freshwater
Institute develops water resource management solutions that are
environmentally friendly for a variety of applications. Part of their
work involves the development of techniques for the fish farming
industry. Eventually the fish that are part of the research become too
large and must be removed. The institute is not allowed to sell the
fish due to contractual obligations with the commercial industry, so
whenever possible they donate them to agencies that feed the hungry.
If you know of any feeding programs or
ministries that could use a steady supply of fresh, whole fish, please
contact FHFH at 301-739-3000 or email us at
staff@fhfh.org.
For more information about the Freshwater Institute you can visit them
on the web at
www.freshwaterinstitute.org.
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