Non-Mariners Race Is A ‘Non-Litter Event’
Sandys Boat Club has teamed up with Keep Bermuda Beautiful [KBB] to help promote a litter-free Non-Mariners Race event for 2012.
The Non-Mariners Race is hosted by The Society of Non-Mariners and the Sandys Boat Club and will be held on Sunday, August 5th. This year will be the 40th Anniversary of this annual event at the Club.
A spokesperson said: “With hundreds of boats and thousands of people in Mangrove Bay, trash often ends up overboard through littering or carelessness.
“Glass bottles last for hundreds of years and should not be tossed overboard. Additionally everything made of plastic, like cups, straws, food wrappers and cigarette butts are harmful to marine life and should be disposed of properly.
“In order to encourage the public to help ensure Non-Mariners is a non-litter event, there will be MC and radio announcements during the event to remind people not to litter, banners and signs will be posted in prominent locations around Mangrove Bay, extra waste barrels and dumpsters will be at Sandys Boat Club, a “Trash Taxi” will be on the water collecting trash from people in the water. Finally, after every Non-Mariners event Sandys Boat Club organizes a post-event clean up.
“In September 2011 during KBB’s annual Island-wide Marine Cleanup, a dive team led by Weldon Wade of Bermuda Ocean Explorers cleared hundreds of bottles from the bottom of Mangrove Bay, finding them every few feet.”
Sandys Boat Club Commodore Brad Woodings said: “Everyone is asked to please keep their trash on their boat and take it with them when they leave, or to use the bins provided at Sandys Boat Club. We will have extra barrels and dumpsters this year as we work to make the Non-Mariners Race a non-litter event.”
KBB Executive Director Anne Hyde said: “This is definitely one of the best parties of the year. We want to get the message out early to encourage everyone’s commitment to not dispose of any trash overboard, particularly bottles and plastic cups.”
“KBB usually gets a dive team in this area every year following the Non-Mariners Race because the volume of beer bottles is so bad. Think of the huge benefits to this special area of Bermuda if we could avoid trashing the place during this event. I think the word ‘non’ is a perfect fit here. Let’s add non-littering to the other non-words that are associated with the Non-Mariners Race.”
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Category: All, Environment
This is a good step but I would like to think that we could ask of our people that they simply leave no trash behind whenever they go to a public event. Can we not organise ourselves so that we take home any trash that we create? This really isn’t a lot to ask… to be responsible for ourselves… and if it is, I suppose I’m asking for us to set the bar higher. Thanks.
good job KBB.
you wont get anywhere with the parade organisers though. Black Authenticity Construct.
Great Idea!!! They should remind everyone at Beachfest on Thursday of the importance of non-littering as well.
I totally agree with Kim Smith, but sadly we have to remind people and CONTINUE to remind people. Also, with an event such as Non-Mariners, people are often drinking so much that they don’t notice their cup or bottle is floating off. Things get knocked overboard and so on. If people could just take a bit more care it would make such a difference. Also, STRAWS? Really? Do we need them?? They are so hard to clean up and really so unnecessary.
I watched a party boat doing beer funnels last year. After they poured each beer, they chucked the bottle overboard. Out of sight, out of mind apparently.
NON MARINERS 2012 FLOAT APPLICATION :
http://www.sandysboatclub.com/Resources/Documents/NON-ENTRY%20%20FLOAT%20APPLICATION%20-%202012.pdf
Seriously? You are asking “DRUNK” (Definitely emphasizing on the word) people to pick up their trash and be careful about litering. This is going to be a day of drinking so I doubt a few people there would be relatively sober. DRUNK + RESPONSIBILITY = DOES NOT GO TOGETHER..