Sea Grant educates about National Safe Boating Week

Watertown, NY, May 24, 2011 - New York Sea Grant's Recreation/Tourism Specialist Dave White returns to the 7 News This Morning studios, this time equipped with a canoe for a quick refresher on boat (and paddle boat) do's and don'ts. He's letting viewers know about being safe while out on the water - not only during National Safe Boating Week, but also throughout the summer months.

"National Safe Boating Week is a great opportunity for us to raise awareness about safe boating," he says. "So, we're taking both our 16-foot Discover Clean and Safe boat and canoe out and talking with people about all kinds of issues related to safe and clean boating, as well as focusing on invasive species education."

"Safe boating offers us a great opportunity to remind recreational users of what they need to have onboard, especially in advance of Memorial Day weekend, when everyone is starting to get out on the water."

"When we talk about invasives, the discussion is not only about 'is the boat and the trailer clean of invasives' - because you don't want to take these organisms from one body of water to another - but you have to also check all the other stuff onboard that comes in contact with the water." This includes items like fishing nets and bait buckets.

Since April 2006, White has been bringing Sea Grant's "message" to the morning masses at WWNY TV 7, a Fox affiliate in downtown Watertown, during one of the highest rated TV blocks in the "wake-up hours," the 6:30-7 am stretch.

Sea Grant's 'five minutes of fame' - which potentially reaches around 10,000 viewers in New York's Jefferson and Northern Oswego Counties - has featured topics over the years such as boating safety, aquatic invasive species, diving in search of sunken wrecks, the dune and Salmon River stewards program, shoreline land issues, tourism, and marine safety.