A clean-up campaign has cleared more than 50 abandoned boats from the island’s waters in the past seven months.

The Abandoned Boats project was launched by the environmental charity Keep Bermuda Beautiful in conjunction with the Government, and raised more than $150,000 to fund the programme.

But there is still work to be done — a further 30 wrecks have yet to be pulled ashore and dismantled.

Other removals will continue throughout the month and into the new year. It is expected that the remaining vessels will be removed by next spring.

Amy Shillingford, the project leader, said: “On behalf of KBB, we are extremely grateful for the support of our donors and project partners.

“The cost of extracting and safely disposing of the vessels already approved for removal exceeds $150,000, all of which has been generously funded by individual and corporate donations.

“The community’s passion for preserving Bermuda’s delicate marine environment and cleaning up environmental hazards caused by these sunken, rotting and beached vessels is truly heart-warming.

“Our community and our culture are so closely connected to the ocean it’s only right that we each do our best to take care of it.”

She added: “Numerous residents have reached out to us to share their delight that these long-forgotten wrecks are being removed from local docks and bays.

“The removals not only enhance Bermuda’s beauty, but also make the water safer for boaters, swimmers and marine life.”

The charity worked in conjunction with another charity, the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce, to identify the wrecks before getting approval from the Government to have them removed.

Read more here: https://www.royalgazette.com/environment/news/article/20221220/support-for-cleaning-up-rotting-and-abandoned-vessels-heart-warming-says-kbb/