27 ADVs To Be Removed from Alaska’s Annette Islands Reserve

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 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.

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.