Share and view ideas: Ghost Gear Program’s Gear Management Survey
Current status: Open
Opened on October 28, 2024 and will close to new input on November 30, 2024.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is seeking to evaluate public knowledge of ghost gear (abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear) and gather feedback on future plans, measures and tools to prevent and address ghost gear. We invite you to fill out the survey below to have your voice heard.
Join in: How to participate
Feedback can be submitted through the online survey or via an email to DFO.GGProgram-ProgrammeEF.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Please note, a summary of recommendations and comments will be made available publicly via a What We Heard report that will be posted on the DFO and Consulting with Canadians websites.
Share your ideas online
Use the online survey. (You won’t need to sign up for an account or provide any personal information.)
Send us an email
Send an email to DFO.GGProgram-ProgrammeEF.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca with your ideas or comments to make yourself heard.
Participate by mail
Send a letter with your ideas and input to the address provided in the contact information below.
Who is the focus of this consultation
The Government of Canada will engage with:
- Indigenous groups
- Fishers and harvesters
- Industry: fishing, recycling, disposal, manufacturers of fishing gear
- Academia, environmental groups and organizations
- Government agencies (provincial, territorial, municipal), harbour authorities
- General Canadian public
Key questions for discussion
Ghost gear is abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear. It has been identified as a key priority in the Government of Canada’s efforts towards eliminating plastic pollution with the creation of the Ghost Gear Program in 2019. Phase 1 of the Program was building capacity, knowledge and becoming world leaders in addressing ghost gear. In 2024, we have entered Phase 2 which is a focused on working with Canadians to develop tools and measures to prevent and address ghost gear to support the development of the Ghost Gear Action Plan by 2027. Engagement activities, including this online survey, will assess public knowledge and seek feedback to guide and support the Ghost Gear Action Plan development. Your ideas and input are sought on the following topics:
- Fisheries management
- Gear storage
- Mandatory lost gear reporting
- Technology in Ghost Gear
- Gear marking and tagging
- Gear tracking
- Gear disposal
- Ghost Gear retrieval
- Operationalizing Ghost Gear activities
- Next steps
What we are hearing
Ideas shared so far
National and Regional engagement sessions are being held from June to December 2024. Once we have completed the engagement sessions and the survey, DFO will collate all views provided into a “What we Heard” report, which will be made publicly available prior to the 2nd International Fishing Gear Innovation Summit February 25 and 26, 2025 in Moncton, NB.
Related information
Contact us
Ghost Gear Program
C/O Fisheries and Harbours Management
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
200 Kent Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0E6
Email: DFO.GGProgram-ProgrammeEF.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
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