Fishing for Energy is catching on in Oregon. Garibaldi and Newport will be the first port communities in the state to participate in the innovative partnership that provides a cost-free solution for fishermen to dispose of old fishing gear that is then turned into energy.
An initiative between Covanta Energy (Covanta), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, and Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc., the Fishing for Energy partnership will place collection bins at the ports to collect old, abandoned or lost fishing gear beginning in August. Abandoned or lost fishing equipment can threaten marine life, impact navigational safety, and have economic repercussions on fishing and shipping enterprises and, most importantly, coastal communities.
"The Fishing for Energy partnership to recycle unusable fishing gear is an idea that has Oregon written all over it. Having the fisheries agencies, the ports, and the waste and recycling industries all working together shows what can be done when everyone gets together to solve an environmental problem," remarked United States Senator Ron Wyden when commenting on the program's expansion to Oregon.
The Fishing for Energy partnership depends on extensive cooperation between local organisations and the fishing community. In Garibaldi and Newport, local agencies and organisations have worked collaboratively with the partnership to make the marine debris removal effort successful by reducing any financial cost to fisherman and ports that would otherwise be incurred to dispose this gear and ensuring that derelict gear does not end up in the marine environment.
Since launching in 2008, the Fishing for Energy partnership has reeled in more than 200 tons of old fishing gear, a portion of which has been retrieved directly from the ocean by fishermen. This year the partnership has expanded to work with ports on both the east and west coasts of the United States, hosting a series of launch events which aim to promote retired or derelict fishing gear collection through community education and outreach.
