Yamaha Rightwaterstm Becomes an International Conservation Effort

The Yamaha Rightwaters sustainability initiative expands overseas as Yamaha Motor Australia announces plans to build on the company's commitment to marine conservation by forming a strategic alliance with clean technology start-up Seabintm, its first Yamaha Rightwaters initiative.

Yamaha Motor Australia joins the Australian-founded company as a major sponsor of the world's first "100 Smarter Cities for Cleaner Oceans" campaign in Sydney.

"At Yamaha, we are all passionate about boating and the long-term sustainability of our waterways. In Australia, we are fortunate to enjoy some of the most pristine and diverse marine environments in the world, and we realize we can never take this for granted," said Jason Harris, General Manager of the Marine Division, Yamaha Motor Australia. "Through Yamaha Rightwaters, we hope to implement programs that contribute in meaningful ways to help protect and sustain our waterways."

Seabintm developed an innovative Ocean Health Data Platform, which involves the removal and data cataloguing of plastics and other marine debris from waterways. The critical data sets collated from the Seabin unit collections are recognized by global authorities such as United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to facilitate, support and implement positive policy making and behavioral change. Seabintm set a goal to operate in 100 cities by 2050. The company launched its first City Pilot in Sydney last year, collecting more than 16 tons of marine debris waterways and filtering over 3 billion liters of water. With support from Yamaha Rightwaters, Seabin can double this impact through the addition of the Sydney Smart City program.

Introduced in the United States in 2019 on World Oceans Day, Yamaha Rightwaters champions environmental stewardship and supports marine habitat protection, management and restoration through education, scientific research and partnerships to ensure healthy marine ecosystems for generations to come.

"Yamaha is a company with deep roots in conservation and sustainability. Yamaha Rightwaters reflects those values, now on a global level, and we applaud the efforts of our Australian counterparts," said John O'Keefe, Senior Specialist, Government Relations, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. "We hope to see the initiative continue to gain momentum in 2022 as we look to expand our project portfolio to include more marine habitat restoration, invasive species mitigation, plastics removal and recycling and carbon sequestration."

Yamaha Rightwaters made significant strides in the U.S. in 2021. Through a new sponsorship of the Ducks Unlimited Gulf Coast Initiative, Yamaha Rightwaters now has the opportunity to support marine habitat restoration and carbon dioxide sequestration. The multi-year conservation initiative is dedicated to rebuilding wetlands lost to erosion, subsidence and sea level rise in Louisiana and Texas. Through two projects, Ducks Unlimited, Yamaha Rightwaters and other supporters will restore designated seagrass and wetland habitats and contribute to climate mitigation through a combination of protecting buried carbon and sequestering atmospheric carbon at rates up to 530 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.

In addition, Yamaha Rightwaters launched a plastics recycling pilot program during the summer, which uses reverse logistics to return the protective covers from select boat builders, retail dealers and two of Yamaha's boat production facilities. The materials ship to Tommy Nobis Enterprises, which separates recyclable plastics from other materials. Tommy Nobis Enterprises then ships the material to Nexus Fuels for processing into raw materials, which range from liquids to gasses and waxes. Through this pilot program, Yamaha Rightwaters pushes marine industry sustainability into a new realm of conservation.

Yamaha Rightwaters is an international sustainability program that encompasses all of Yamaha Marine's conservation and water quality efforts. Program initiatives include habitat restoration, support for scientific research, mitigation of invasive species, the reduction of marine debris and environmental stewardship education. Yamaha Rightwaters reinforces Yamaha's long-standing history of natural resource conservation, support of sustainable recreational fishing and water resources and Angler Code of Ethics, which requires pro anglers to adhere to principles of stewardship for all marine resources.

REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal floatation device and protective gear.

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