WASHINGTON (PR Newswire) — June 6, 2014 — In honor of World Oceans Day on June 8th, Fishing for Energy, the public-private partnership aimed at reducing the adverse effects of derelict fishing gear and marine debris, has announced $150,000 in grant support from Covanta, a world leader in sustainable waste management and renewable energy.
Every day, commercial fishermen around the country deploy hundreds of traps and miles of nets into ocean and coastal waters to land their catches. Due primarily to circumstances beyond their control, like powerful weather events and disturbances from other vessels, some gear is lost to the sea. When this happens, fishermen lose not only their gear, but the associated profits as well. Moreover, the lost gear continues to capture fish, which degrades the marine habitat and its resources. This phenomenon is called 'ghost fishing' and is an economic and environmental hardship to fishing industries and coastal communities.
"The world's oceans and waterways are in danger from derelict fishing gear and marine debris. Covanta and our partners have worked with ports across the country to collect dangerous gear and debris – over two million pounds since 2008. We are now proud to expand our focus and resources on education programs to raise awareness about this growing environmental problem," said Margretta Morris, Covanta's vice president for materials management.
The grants from the Fishing for Energy Fund, in partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Targeted Education, will engage millions of visitors annually at three of America's flagship aquariums to better convey the environmental and economic perils of derelict fishing gear and what local communities and businesses can do to help.
"Aquariums play an important role, both providing information and inspiring the public, potentially transforming visitors' heightened interest into conservation action," notes Nancy Hotchkiss, Vice President of Visitor Experience and Education for the National Aquarium. "We know that aquariums are uniquely positioned to reach a broad audience with critical information and in ways that will make a difference. Specifically, we can address challenges like marine debris and derelict and abandoned fishing gear, which have immediate and easily recognized detrimental impact on the animals, habitats, and resources our visitors are inspired to care for."
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