Kennesaw, Ga. – Yamaha Rightwaters marks its one-year anniversary this week, a milestone that coincides with 2020 World Oceans Day and Capitol Hill Ocean Week. Serving as the umbrella for all of Yamaha Marine’s sustainability projects, Yamaha Rightwaters champions environmental stewardship and supports marine habitat restoration, invasive species control and scientific research. The mission of the initiative is to improve the quality of boating and fishing waters, and ensure a healthy marine ecosystem for generations to come.
“Through Rightwaters, Yamaha is fighting to protect the most essential natural resource — water,” said Martin Peters, Division Manager, Government Relations, Yamaha Marine U.S. Business Unit. “We made significant strides through Rightwaters initiatives during the first year, and we plan to continue and even step up our efforts in the future. Conservation is a cornerstone of our business, and we pledge to advocate for policies and practices that ensure clean water and sustainable fisheries for everyone.”
Within the last 12 months, Yamaha Rightwaters supported organizations including the NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful and Keep Golden Isles Beautiful through efforts including clean up events, outboard-powered research vessels and continued conservation education. In addition, Yamaha Rightwaters teamed up with Skeeter Boats to provide an SX230 Center Console powered by a Yamaha V MAX SHO 250 outboard to Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory to use to study the effects of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill on oyster habitats in the Gulf of Mexico and Apalachicola Bay. Yamaha Rightwaters also worked directly with Clearwater Mills in Maryland to develop a pilot device engineered with Yamaha electric power and control systems that will automatically remove floating debris from waterways. The first device is intended for deployment in coastal Georgia later this year.
Yamaha Rightwaters also works with organizations such as the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) to improve conservation techniques and mitigate invasive species, and the Coastal Conservation Association in support of habitat restoration projects.
Yamaha Rightwaters officially launched on World Oceans Day 2019 with support for the Coastal Georgia Clean Up campaign to prevent plastic and other debris from entering the ocean. In sponsorship with Keep Golden Isles Beautiful, the Coastal Georgia Clean Up effort united 18 nonprofit, educational and governmental organizations in a simultaneous removal of litter. The group collected 4,572 pounds (2.3 tons) of trash, including more than 5,200 cigarette butts and 19 tires.
Yamaha has a long history of natural resource conservation. Within the last six years alone, Yamaha has given support to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, WoundedNature.org, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, OCEARCH, the National Aquarium and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. In addition, Yamaha vigorously supported the Save Our Seas Act, S. 3508 on Capitol Hill. The act was signed into law on Oct. 11, 2018.
