AIWA Partners with Blue Flag USA to Promote Environmental Stewardship

The AIWA is partnering with the Blue Flag USA program to encourage recreational boat owners to showcase their environmental sustainability on the water. The Blue Flag award is given to beaches, marinas, and tour boat operators who comply with stringent environmental, educational, safety and access-related criteria annually. The Blue Flag program has been operating internationally since 2001 by the Foundation for Environmental Education and is implemented through a collaborative effort between government and local communities.

Blue Flag also promotes environmentally sustainable action by individuals through educational activities in its programs and the Blue Flag USA for environmental code of conduct for boating. Individuals who own a boat for private recreational use can sign the code of conduct and commit to 12 environmental actions. These include not littering or dumping waste into coastal waters; reporting pollution or other environmental violations; respecting fishing regulations and seasonal limits; not purchasing or using items from or made from protected species or underwater archeological findings, and more. Each owner who signs and commits to the code of conduct is eligible to fly the Blue Flag on their boat to show their commitment to environmental sustainability.

For the full recreational boater code of conduct and Blue Flag order form, click here. To learn more about the Blue Flag USA program for beaches, marinas and tour boat operators, we invite you to visit the Blue Flag USA website or program coordinator Annie Mercer.