NAMEPA and Genco Partner for 4th Annual Cleanup

[By: NAMEPA]

The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) is thrilled to announce its partnership with corporate member, Genco Shipping & Trading, for the celebration of International Coastal Cleanup Day (ICC). This year marked the 4th annual cleanup event, held at a new location, the Marshlands Conservancy in Rye, New York.

“NAMEPA partners with our members on a variety of initiatives to promote marine environmental awareness,” stated Lyn Harris, Chief Operating Officer of NAMEPA. “Genco continues to demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship and what it means to Save Our Seas with this annual outreach event.”

The event brought together dedicated volunteers from Genco and NAMEPA, who worked tirelessly to remove marine debris that had found a home within the marsh. The marsh in this region is a vital, essential, and unique habitat. Known as areas where land meets the sea, the Marshlands Conservancy is a watershed where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with saltwater from the Atlantic Ocean, forming the Long Island Sound estuary. Residents of this marsh include salt tolerant Spartina grass, fiddler crabs, and even the North American osprey. Salt marshes are crucial habitats with substantial environmental importance and provide us with ecosystem services. This includes being a nursery for marine life, acting as a filter to trap and remove pollutants from the water, and mitigating the effects of wave attenuation and coastal erosion.

The collaboration between Genco and NAMEPA underscores the collective responsibility of individuals, communities, and companies to safeguard our oceans and marine life. Volunteers collected a variety of debris wrappers, plastic bottle caps, dental floss picks, and Styrofoam products. The data gathered from these efforts will be submitted to the Ocean Conservancy, which compiles an annual global report on marine debris to further our understanding of this critical issue.

This partnership between NAMEPA and Genco represents just one of the many opportunities for corporate members to engage with NAMEPA in their mission to protect our seas. NAMEPA also offers a range of tools to assist members in their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. These tools include:

• NAMEPA’s Maritime Sustainability Passport (MPS) program, which provides a framework for companies to assess and improve their ESG performance.
• MARPOL Webinar Series where participants explore the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships and other key environmental topics with subject matter experts and NAMEPA corporate members.
• Corporate Lunch N’ Learn sessions on marine debris, MARPOL compliance, and ESG performance.
• Variety of education materials including workforce development, maritime education, and what it means to be an ocean steward.

Become a member today to join Genco and other industry leaders promote sustainable maritime industry best practices and educate the public on the value proposition of the industry and what it means to Save Our Seas.

As we face increasing environmental challenges, NAMEPA and Genco are united in their commitment to making a positive impact on the health and sustainability of our oceans. By working together, they exemplify the spirit of environmental stewardship and emphasize the shared responsibility we all have in protecting our seas for future generations.