INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – The Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast is seeking volunteers for the Second Annual Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup on Saturday, July 25. The countywide effort, which is sponsored by the Florida Inland Navigation District, runs from from 8 a.m. to 12:30 pm Saturday. Divers already conducted an underwater dive cleanup on Saturday at the Sebastian Inlet and the Near Shore Reef. Those interested in participating in Saturday’s cleanup should RSVP to Steve Haigis at (772) 664-8500.
Haigis, who serves as president of MIATC, said the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will be mapping the trash collected and that anyone with a GPS device is asked to use it to pinpoint locations.”This will help us to educate boaters and create awareness about the importance of protecting our boating habitat,” he said. “We invite all boaters and non boaters to be part of this historic effort.”Monofilament fishing line, which poses a danger to birds, fish and wildlife, will be collected and recycled as part of both the underwater and shoreline cleanups.
The Vero Beach Municipal Marina, Orchid Island Kayaks and the Sebastian Inlet Marina will be taking early registrations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 21 and 23 for the July 25 cleanup.
Indian River County cleanup sites will include:
Sebastian Main Street Boat Ramp
Sebastian Inlet Marina.
Riverside Park Boat Ramp
Vero Beach Municipal Marina
Loggerhead Marina at Grand Harbor
Captain Forsters Park Dock on Jungle Trail
These sites will also have the capability to register boats on the day of the cleanup. All volunteers receive an event t-shirt and a burgee to display on their vessel during the cleanup.The Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast, Inc. is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to the promotion of pleasure boating and its related industries, which contribute $18.4 billion annually to the Florida economy and provide approximately 7.600 jobs. For more information, call April Price (772) 285-1646 or go to www.tcwaterwaycleanup.com.
