Are you wondering how we are ever going to clean up our oceans? Well, the Fishing For Energy partnership might be the answer to your prayers….at least when it comes to cleaning the oceans of old fishing gear.



Fishing for Energy, is seeking nominations for U.S. ports to participate in an innovative program created to collect derelict fishing gear that threatens marine life.Â Without proper disposal systems in place, tons of useless fishing gear and marine debris make their way into oceans each year. These can often endanger marine animals by entangling them or being ingested by them.

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. The gear is then processed into clean, renewable energy at a nearby Covanta Energy-from-Waste facility.

According to Paul Gilman, Chief Sustainability Officer at Covanta Energy, World Oceans Day which just passed on June 8th, provided the perfect opportunity to reach out to encourage people to nominate their local port for participation in the Fishing for Energy program. designated ports would then have the opportunity to provide a no-cost solution to local fishermen trying to dispose of unwanted fishing gear.

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 tom.barry@nfwf.org.