Yamaha Rightwaters celebrates five years, reports progress | Boating Industry
Yamaha Rightwaters marked its fifth anniversary on Saturday, June 8, World Oceans Day 2024. During the past five years, Yamaha Rightwaters supported programs that made significant progress in the fight to keep waterways clean and promote sustainability for generations to come.
Several key metrics include:
- More than 68,000 pounds of plastic shipping covers recycled through the Yamaha Rightwaters Recycling Program with Nexus Circular
- More than 712 tons of waste removed from waterways through collaborations with clean up organizations including Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful, Keep the Golden Isles Beautiful and the Conch Republic Marine Army
- Approximately 77 metric tons of carbon dioxide sequestered through the Ducks Unlimited Gulf Cost Initiative
Yamaha Rightwaters said it will continue to grow in support of four key pillars: marine habitat creation and restoration; academic marine research; mitigation and management of invasive species and environmental stewardship promoting clean marine habitats.
“As Yamaha Rightwaters evolves, we uncover more opportunities to support our mission to create and maintain clean, sustainable marine environments for future generations to come,” said Joshua Grier, Sustainability Manager, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “We will increase our efforts, specifically through projects that support carbon sequestration and neutrality. The projects we chose to support during the last 12 months reflect the need to know more about how sustainable marine habitats, and the products used within these habitats, can contribute in a positive way to surrounding environments.”
From June 2023 through June 2024, Yamaha Rightwaters’ efforts also reinforced Yamaha’s overall goals to pursue carbon neutrality. Yamaha Rightwaters highlights from the past 12 months include:
Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association
In early 2024, Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. joined the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) alongside hydrogen producers, infrastructure providers, engineering firms and other off takers as part of its pursuit of multiple technology solutions to achieve carbon neutrality. FCHEA represents more than 100 leading organizations advancing production, distribution, and use of innovative, clean, safe and reliable hydrogen energy. FCHEA is the national industry association for hydrogen energy and fuel cell technologies in the United States and provides a consistent industry voice to regulators and policymakers, driving support at the federal and state levels. The organization focuses on leading national advocacy to encourage all levels of government to support fuel cell and hydrogen technology research, development, and deployment as well as a voice in shaping regulations, codes and standards to enable commercial growth, while ensuring the highest levels of consumer safety and satisfaction. Martin Peters, Director, Yamaha Marine External Affairs, now serves on the organization’s board of directors.
Solar Array Installation
Yamaha Motor Corporation, with the help of VeloSolar, is currently in the process of installing solar arrays at the company’s Southeastern Headquarters in Kennesaw, Ga., and Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC) in Newnan, Ga. this summer. The initiative supports Yamaha’s goal to reduce emissions produced as a direct result of business activities and achieve carbon neutrality within its manufacturing operations and facilities by 2035. The company anticipates the solar array in Kennesaw will supply about 60 percent of the facility’s electricity needs. At the Newnan facility, Yamaha expects to avoid roughly 13,600 tons of carbon dioxide over the life of the array – that’s equivalent to eliminating approximately 14,930,000 pounds of coal emissions. Yamaha plans to conclude the solar installations by the end of 2024.
Georgia Southern University and the Georgia Department of Resources
In the fall of 2023, Yamaha Rightwaters joined forces with Georgia Southern University’s (GSU) College of Science and Mathematics and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division to initiate a new conservation project designed to restore degraded oyster beds on the Georgia coast. The research gathered during the project will help determine the carbon burial potential of newly formed oyster reefs off the coast of Georgia. Through the project, approximately six tons of bagged oyster shell stacked on pallets are placed at two locations on a northern bank of the North Newport River west of St. Catherine’s Island to encourage the growth of new, native Eastern oysters. The teams hope that the data collected through the two initiatives will give more information about the carbon sequestration value of oyster reefs.
In addition, Georgia Southern established a Yamaha Rightwaters Conservation Scholarship in July of 2023. Supported by an ongoing endowment from Yamaha Rightwaters, the scholarship awards $5,000 annually to a student who exhibits outstanding efforts and commitment to improve coastal sustainability.
The Emerald Coast Open
For the second consecutive year, Yamaha Rightwaters joined forces with Gulf Coast Lionfish Tournaments to support the Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament. The tournament continues to break records for the number of lionfish removed, as well as records for the largest and smallest lionfish harvested. Lionfish prey on more than 167 different native fish species and can reduce some reef fish populations by up to 90 percent. They are capable of eating fish 2/3 their size and one lionfish can consume roughly 20 fish in a half hour.
During the 2024 Emerald Coast Open, 147 competing divers removed 11,844 invasive lionfish from Florida waters stretching from the Atlantic coast to the Gulf.
Wildlife Forever’s “Clean Drain Dry” Campaign
Yamaha Rightwaters continues to support the Wildlife Forever® “Clean Drain Dry” campaign, a campaign seeking to educate boaters on the importance of properly preparing to move their vessels from the water to prevent the spread of invasive species such as Zebra mussels.
CCA Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasives Count
Yamaha Rightwaters also sponsors the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Maryland’s Great Chesapeake Invasives Count, a contest specifically targeting non-indigenous species, such as northern snakehead, blue catfish and flathead catfish. The contest seeks the help of recreational anglers to gather information on the prevalence of these harmful fish across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. CCA shares this information with researchers to help understand the impact of these species on the watershed.
In addition to the programs listed above, Yamaha Rightwaters also supports organizations including the NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, OCEARCH, The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful and Keep the Golden Isles Beautiful, the Tennessee Aquarium, the Conch Republic Marine Army, Drawdown Georgia, the University of Georgia Capstone Program, the Potomac River Keepers and Partnership of the Delaware Estuary through efforts including clean up events, outboard-powered research vessels and continued conservation education.
Serving as the umbrella for all of Yamaha Marine’s sustainability projects, Yamaha Rightwaters officially launched on World Oceans Day 2019.
