Page 51 - Damen Shipyards Group

50 SUSTAINABILITY SPECIAL 51
SUSTAINABILITY

BEGINS AT HOME

AMELS JOINS THE FIGHT TO CLEAN UP THE SEAS

FOR ALL OF US, AND PARTICULARLY IN THE YACHTING MARKET, OCEAN POLLUTION IS A GROWING CONCERN.
SO WHAT MEASURES ARE AMELS TAKING IN THE FIGHT TO PROTECT THE OCEANS FROM THE RISING TIDE OF
PLASTIC POLLUTION AND MARINE LITTER?
Two seals, adopted by Amels, returning to the sea in
Vlissingen following their rehabilitation.

Damen’s yachting activities, including its Amels superyachts, Yacht Support craft FISHING FOR LITTER
and SeaXplorer expedition yachts, are focused at its two yards in Vlissingen The North Sea provides plentiful fishing grounds, but the nets
in the province of Zeeland in the south of the Netherlands. The province, designed to trawl the latest catch more often than not also reel
renowned for its beautiful 650 kilometres of coastline, is popular amongst in unwanted marine litter. Fishing for Litter is an initiative that
tourists and surrounded by on-water boating and shipping activity. provides hardwearing bags for the collection of any marine litter
caught in the net and facilitates and funds the deposit of the waste
“Owning a superyacht is fun, we’re in the fun business,” comments Victor on the quayside at participating ports. Amels is proud to sponsor
Caminada, brand and communications manager, “but we’ve all witnessed a Fishing for Litter for the Vlissingen fleet of fishermen located next
growing appreciation of the threat that ocean pollution is to the long-term to the shipyard.
sustainability of our industry. It’s our clients’ playground and the problem
reaches all our shores, even right here in our own backyard.” SEALS
An extensive eco-system of marine life depends entirely upon the
CLEAN BEACH COLLABORATION ecological balance of the waters surrounding the shores local to
Three times a month the Vlissingen team invites local residents as well as Amels. There is no better measure than the presence of seals who
students and sustainability lecturers from the local HZ University of Applied will only thrive in waters of the highest quality. Sponsoring the local
Sciences to join them in cleaning up rubbish and plastic on Vlissingen’s coastline seal sanctuary Aseals guarantees care and rehabilitation to ensure
and inner harbour. Beach clean-ups are made logistically possible thanks to as many seals as possible can be returned safely and healthily to
a collaboration with the local council and above all the harbour master who the place they call home. On March 14 , two rehabilitated seals
th
provide know-how, materials and responsible disposal of collected waste. adopted by Amels were released back into the sea in Vlissingen.

BETTER BINS SCHONE SCHELDE COVENANT
Initiatives to promote, sustain and facilitate clean beaches include the Amels- The Scheldt estuary, which forms a significant portion of Zeeland’s
sponsored iconic ‘arty’ rubbish bin located next to one of the area’s most coastline, sees 40,000 ship movements a year and is home to
popular beach restaurants, run together with the environmental organisation a number of large industrial firms. In February 2019, 28 local
Doe Mee, Verlos de Zee (Join us, save the sea). parties including Damen signed an agreement acknowledging
the joint responsibility to tackle litter waste problems at source
At the Vlissingen city yard, a large floating rubbish bin called a Seabin filters out thus preventing contribution to the global ‘plastic soup’ issues.
unwanted waste and plastic, generating improved water quality and collecting The covenant marks a landmark decision locally in cooperation,
an estimated 1.5 kilograms of drifting waste per day. Located in the harbour responsibility and pro-active measures in the fight to sustain our
on the doorstep of the yard, the Seabin minimises the plastic and waste that local and global shorelines and oceans.
washes up on local inland water shores and beyond.