Coast Guard Auxiliary Reports
Thank you to Linda Olson for passing along information from the Florida Specifier for the following article.
The article highlights that marine debris is one of the most pervasive global threat. This is not just the large things we may think about such as crab traps and fishing nets but also the smaller things such as fishing line, the bag that flies out of your boat when picking up speed and the cans and bottles thrown overboard.
Fishing line is the largest threat to our migratory birds and other marine wildlife who become entangled and hook ingestion.
NOAA put out the following guidelines by debris type:
• Litter and other typical marine debris items Examples: Plastic bottles, aluminum cans, buoys, plastic foam. Common marine debris types may vary by location. If safe and practical, we encourage you to remove the debris and recycle as much of it as possible.
• Potential hazardous materials (HAZMAT) Examples: Oil or chemical drums, gas cans, propane tanks. Contact your local authorities, a state emergency response or environmental health agency, and the U.S. Coast Guard National Response Center(link is external) at 1-800-424-8802 to report the item with as much information as possible. Do not touch the item or attempt to move it. If the item poses a serious hazard and requires immediate attention by authorities, make a 911 emergency call.
• Derelict vessel or other large debris item Examples: Adrift fishing boat, shipping containers. Contact your local authorities and a state emergency response or environmental health agency to report the item. If the debris item is a potential hazard to navigation, immediately radio your nearest U.S. Coast Guard Sector Command Center(link is external). Do not attempt to move or remove the item.
• Unknown item: If you don’t know what it is, don’t touch it. If you believe it is a hazardous item, contact local authorities and report it.
Thanks to Sherrie, we will always remember safe boating is no accident.
If you would like to learn more about vessel safety checks, please contact Steve Hults, Staff Officer for Vessel Examinations at steve.hults@uscgaux.net.
Please contact us for more information about our safe boating classes or learning more about getting involved in the Auxiliary, check out our website at www.uscgaux.net follow us on FaceBook @ Apalachee Bay Flotilla 12 or contact our Flotilla Commander Phil Hill at pnkkhill2000@yahoo.com
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org.