Metlakatla Indian Community clearing 27 derelict vessels to protect its waters

Abandoned derelict vessel in Beaufort, North Carolina © Stacey Nedrow Wigmore

The Metlakatla Indian Community is now removing 27 abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) from waterways on the Annette Islands Reserve, a major step toward cleaner, safer waterways and healthier fisheries for the community.

ADVs pollute Alaska's coastal waters and put commercial and subsistence fishing at risk. The latest removal effort completed July 16 brings the total number of ADVs removed from the area to six, restoring safe navigation, clearing working harbors in Metlakatla, and easing the burden on a remote community with limited resources to tackle these long-standing challenges alone.

"The Metlakatla Indian Community is built on fishing, and our resources are tied to the health of the environment," said Special Projects Director and Grant Coordinator for the Metlakatla Indian Community Genelle Winter. "Seeing these vessels finally come out of the water is a huge win for our fisheries, our harbors and the entire community. This is what protecting our way of life looks like in practice."

The ongoing operation, which began in June, is supported by a grant BoatUS Foundation provided to the Metlakatla Indian Community to remove more than two dozen vessels from the Annette Islands Reserve. The project is part of a larger national initiative to remove hundreds of ADVs from coastal waterways, supported by a 2023 award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program.

"Removing abandoned and derelict vessels from the Metlakatla Indian Community, where the health of the water is inseparable from the health of the people, is exactly what this program was built to do," said BoatUS Foundation's Director of Outreach Alanna Keating. "The work happening on Annette Islands Reserve is a model for how communities can lead on marine debris removal."

In addition to vessel removal, the BoatUS Foundation's national ADV program maintains a national database to track abandoned vessels across U.S. coastal waters, territories and the Great Lakes. As part of the program, BoatUS Foundation will also host the Turning the Tide Summit, on December 6-9 in New Orleans, bringing together industry leaders, environmental stakeholders and waste management experts to advance removal, recycling and prevention solutions.

To report an abandoned or derelict vessel in your area, submit a report here. If you're interested in attending the Turning the Tide Summit, register here.