Session #18: Harboring Sustainability: Port Partnerships for Marine Waste

A big part of a port’s responsibility is to handle waste from its vessels. For the Port of Newport in Oregon, that is everything from engine waste to commercial fishing nets. Handling waste properly is incredibly important and something we should all be concerned about; the proximity to the ocean means that anything mismanaged has a chance of polluting the livelihood of those who work on the waterfront. Together with fishermen and Port staff — all of whom care as much about the environment as some of the most ardent environmentalists — we have prevented over 250,000 lbs of end-of-life netting from going to the landfill. Come to this presentation to learn the nitty gritty of how we work together (the devil is always in the details), and get ideas for how you could implement something similar in your community and support the development of the blue economy in a tangible way.