February 20, 2018 — NEW BEDFORD, Mass. — An oversight on the water led to a plentiful meal for the homeless.

The Environmental Police seized about 100 pounds of scallops Sunday and divided them between the Veterans Transition House and Missionaries of Charity.

“When you have something special like this it makes a huge difference,” said Jason Stripinis, business manager for the Veterans Transition House. “It’s a bright light in a life that’s dimmed temporarily.”

Stripinis said 30 men are living in the main building, which serves lunch and dinner to as many as 60 people. They depend on donations, so Sunday’s offering helped greatly for the facility’s chef, Mo Mann.

“She plates food for these homeless men liked you’d see in a hotel,” Stripinis said. “It’s amazing.”

The vessel, which the Environmental Police did not name, was found to have 100 pounds over its limit for a closed area redemption trip.

Major Pat Moran said the overage was abandoned and a decision was made to offer the scallops to charity.

“Most vessels are very accurate when it comes to lose area trips,” Moran said in a text message. “I think in this case the bags swelled more than the captain anticipated, but again they can take it to the limit but not over the limit.”

Both cases were turned over to NOAA.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times