Senator Whitehouse helps bring the "Fishing for Energy" partnership to Newport, RI

Senator Whitehouse, Senator Reed’s staff representative, and other city and county officials joined NFWF to announce the 6th port to participate in the Fishing for Energy partnership with NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, Covanta Energy Corporation and Schnitzer Steel. The NOAA Marine Debris Program has identified derelict fishing gear as one of the major types of debris impacting the marine environment.  The high costs of landfill disposal has been a disincentive for fishermen to assist in removing derelict gear they may encounter in the marine environment.  The Fishing for Energy project provides fishermen a place to dispose of fishing gear free of charge, with an ultimate goal of reducing the amount of unused fishing gear in the community and marine environment.