On World Oceans Day, Fishing for Energy Expands Search for Marine Debris

The Fishing for Energy partnership is seeking port nominations to help collect derelict fishing gear that is damaging to marine life and their habitats

WASHINGTON, June 8 /PRNewswire/ – Fishing for Energy, a partnership aimed at reducing marine debris, is celebrating World Oceans Day by seeking nominations for U.S. ports to participate in the innovative program created to collect derelict fishing gear that threatens marine life.

The Fishing for Energy partnership is an initiative between Covanta Energy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), and Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc., which provides a cost-free solution for fishermen to dispose of old, derelict or unusable fishing gear. Established in February 2008, the program has collected over 150 tons of fishing gear from 12 ports. That gear is then processed into clean, renewable energy at a nearby Covanta Energy-from-Waste facility.

“The inaugural observance of World Oceans Day by the United Nations is an important way to raise awareness of the current challenges faced by the world’s oceans and expand our efforts to reduce the amount of marine debris plaguing our waters. This day is better than any other to reach out to encourage people to nominate their local port for participation in the Fishing for Energy program,” said Paul Gilman, Chief Sustainability Officer at Covanta Energy. “Those designated ports would then have the opportunity to provide a no-cost solution to local fishermen trying to dispose of unwanted fishing gear.”

Without proper disposal systems in place, countless tons of derelict fishing gear and marine debris make their way into oceans each year. Marine debris contributes to wildlife entanglement or ingestion, marine habitat damage and impaired navigational safety.

To nominate a port and bring Fishing for Energy to your community, fill out a port nomination form found at www.nfwf.org/fishingforenergy or contact Tom Barry at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation at 202-857-0166 or tom.barry@nfwf.org.

About Covanta

Covanta Energy is an internationally recognized owner and operator of large-scale Energy-from-Waste and renewable energy projects and a recipient of the Energy Innovator Award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Covanta’s 38 Energy-from-Waste facilities provide communities with an environmentally sound solution to their solid waste disposal needs by using that municipal solid waste to generate clean, renewable energy. For more information, visit: www.covantaenergy.com.

About NOAA

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program, housed within the Office of Response & Restoration, coordinates, strengthens, and increases the visibility of marine debris issues and efforts within the agency, its partners, and the public. The program supports activities at both a national and international level focused on identifying, reducing and preventing debris from entering the marine environment. NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) protects coastal and marine resources, mitigates threats, reduces harm, and restores ecological function. For more information, visit: www.marinedebris.noaa.gov.

About Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc.

Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. is one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of recycled ferrous metal products in the United States with 41 operating facilities located in 12 states throughout the country and Puerto Rico, including seven export facilities located on both the East and West Coasts and in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The Company’s vertically integrated operating platform also includes its auto parts and steel manufacturing businesses. The Company’s auto parts business sells used auto parts through its 38 self-service facilities and 18 full-service facilities located in 16 states and in western Canada. With an annual production capacity of nearly 800,000 tons, the Company’s steel manufacturing business produces finished steel products, including rebar, wire rod and other specialty products. The Company commenced its 103rd year of operations in fiscal 2009. For more information, visit: www.schnitzer.com.

About National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation sustains, restores and enhances the Nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Since its establishment, NFWF has awarded nearly 9,500 grants to over 3,000 organizations in the United States and abroad and leveraged – with its partners – more than $400 million in federal funds into more than $1.3 billion for on-the-ground conservation. For more information, visit: www.nfwf.org.

SOURCE Fishing for Energy