Yamaha Rightwaters™ Lends Support to 6th Annual Emerald Coast Open
May 22 2024 - 9:30AM
Business Wire
Difficult weather conditions drive anglers to
search a wider area for invasive species
During the 2024 Emerald Coast Open, 147 competing divers removed
11,844 invasive lionfish from Florida waters stretching from the
Atlantic coast to the Gulf. With support from Yamaha
Rightwaters™ as well as many local businesses, The Florida
Wildlife Commission and other conservation-minded organizations,
the event managed a respectable performance in lionfish removal
despite difficult weather in parts of the Gulf of Mexico.
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During the 2024 Emerald Coast Open, 147
competing divers removed 11,844 invasive lionfish from Florida
waters stretching from the Atlantic coast to the Gulf. Photo
courtesy of Destin-Fort Walton Emerald Coast Open.
The challenging conditions led some participants to focus their
efforts on the Atlantic coast, a region with a typically lower
lionfish population. In addition to some long-range fish additions
this year, anglers broke the record for the largest lionfish
harvested in Florida, which measured 75 millimeters (approximately
18.7 inches).
“Mitigating the threat aquatic invasive species of all sizes
pose to marine environments across the world is one of the missions
of Yamaha Rightwaters,” said Joshua Grier, Sustainability Program
Manager, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “The Emerald Coast Open
brings together people from all over the state for a singular
mission: helping to create healthy marine environments and ensuring
their continuation for future generations to enjoy. Yamaha
Rightwaters applauds the determination of the divers, organizers
and captains to make the event a success in spite of challenging
conditions this year.”
Lionfish prey on more than 167 different native fish species and
can reduce some reef fish populations by up to 90 percent. They are
capable of eating fish 2/3 their size and one lionfish can consume
roughly 20 fish in a half hour.
"This tournament always seems to adapt to the situation. This
year's weather in Destin-Fort Walton Beach was not favorable, but
that opened the door for teams to participate in other parts of the
state, and the event removed more than 7,400 fish in two days. It's
encouraging to see more divers getting involved in the Emerald
Coast Open. While we didn't remove a record number of fish, we did
pay out a record amount of prizes,” said Alex Fogg, Coastal
Resource Manager, Destin – Fort Walton Beach and Emerald Coast Open
Organizer. “The support and aligned conservation vision we share
with Yamaha Rightwaters is one that significantly benefits the
environment as well as the community.”
To learn more about the Emerald Coast Open, visit
emeraldcoastopen.com.
Yamaha Rightwaters is a national sustainability program that
encompasses all of Yamaha Marine’s conservation and water quality
efforts. Program initiatives include habitat restoration, support
for scientific research, mitigation of invasive species, the
reduction of marine debris and environmental stewardship education.
Yamaha Rightwaters reinforces Yamaha’s long-standing history of
natural resource conservation, support of sustainable recreational
fishing and water resources and Angler Code of Ethics, which
requires pro anglers to adhere to principles of stewardship for all
marine resources.
Yamaha’s U.S. Marine Business Unit, based in Kennesaw, Ga., is
responsible for the sales, marketing, and distribution of Yamaha
Marine products in the U.S. including Yamaha Outboards, Yamaha
WaveRunners®, Yamaha Boats, G3® Boats and
Skeeter® Boats. Supporting 2,400 dealers and boat builders
nationwide, Yamaha is the industry leader in reliability,
performance, technology and customer service.
REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never
drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal
floatation device and protective gear.
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This document contains many of Yamaha's valuable trademarks. It
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Nicholas Genesi Public Relations Manager Yamaha U.S. Marine
Business Unit Mobile: (470) 898-7278
nicholas_genesi@yamaha-motor.com
Neal Wheaton Wilder+Wheaton for Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit
Mobile: (404) 317-0698 neal.wheaton@gmail.com