Costa released its first Protect Report highlighting its three-plus decades of supporting coastal communities protecting fisheries and waterways, reducing ocean plastic pollution, educating and empowering the fishing community, and restoring and rebuilding coastal habitats. Initiatives led by Costa, and its cause partners worldwide include:

  • Cleaned 85 beaches in the U.S.;
  • Educated 100,000 kids on ethical angling and conservation;
  • Recycled 2.2 million pounds of fishing nets;
  • Removed 90 tons of trash from beaches and coastlines;
  • Eliminated 3 million-plus single-use plastic water bottles;
  • Revitalized 2 villages and ecosystems;
  • Donated $125,000 to rebuilding coastal communities impacted by natural disasters and COVID-19; and
  • Supported all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“Conservation is at our core. We live to be on the water and want to make sure that opportunity is available for future generations,” said TJ McMeniman, vice president, marketing, Costa. “Much of the work highlighted in the Protect Report was made possible by the massive amount of support from our community and partners. A big thank you goes out to our pros, retailers, partners, ambassadors, and brand fans for all of their hard work and support.”

An example is the 700 fishing guides and outfitters that have signed onto Costa’s Kick Plastic initiative. Through the program, Costa Kick Plastic Guides & Outfitters have eliminated more than 3.25 million single-use plastic water bottles. Another Costa-led initiative, the OneCoast program, helps rebuild communities impacted by natural disasters by purchasing OneCoast apparel, direct donations and volunteering. In partnership with Bureo, Costa is up-cycling retired fishing nets from Chile and turning them into sunglass frames, the Untangled Collection. 

The brand has developed partnerships with mission-aligned organizations worldwide including IndiFly which provides an economic opportunity to fishermen by developing sustainable fly fishing ecotourism businesses. In the saltwater community, Costa works with partners including The Billfish Foundation and Bonefish Tarpon Trust to conserve and protect marine life. In the freshwater community, Costa partners with American Rivers and national organizations Casting for Recovery that hosts free fly fishing retreats for women with breast cancer.

The full Protect Report can be found here.