Ghost Gear Fund Projects 2020-2022
In 2019, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) announced $8.3 million for two years (2020-2022) for the Ghost Gear Fund with an additional $10 million allocated in 2021, which funded 49 projects.
Project descriptions
| Name | Area of work | Description | Total funding for 2020-2022 | Pillars of activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association des Pêcheurs Professionnels Crabiers Acadiens, Inc. (APPCA) | Gulf of St. Lawrence, NB | Association des Pêcheurs Professionnels Crabiers Acadiens, Inc. reduced the impacts of abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) on marine mammals, such as the North Atlantic right whale. The APPCA retrieved ALDFG in crab and lobster fishing areas in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and acquired innovative gear technologies to help prevent future gear loss. These projects are complete. *APPCA was funding up to $434,079.90 for two projects in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. |
$434,079.90 | Retrieval Technology |
| Blue Ocean Gear Inc. | Pacific Coast, BC, and Gulf of St. Lawrence, NB | Blue Ocean Gear and the T. Buck Suzuki Foundation collaborated with Dungeness crab, halibut, and prawn fish harvesters in British Columbia to reduce ghost fishing by preventing gear loss through the use of Smart Buoy technology. Blue Ocean Gear buoys track deployed gear, monitoring location, movement, and environmental conditions. Fishers received alerts if their traps, nets or longlines moved beyond a threshold area, allowing timely retrieval before it became lost or entangled. This project is complete. * Blue Ocean Gear was funded up to $150,000.00 to carry out work in two locations; Pacific Coast, BC and Gulf of St. Lawrence, NB. |
$150,000.00 | Technology |
| Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation (Coastal Action) | South Shore, NS | In collaboration with industry, academia, and government, Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation prevented, reduced, and assessed impacts of ghost gear on the South Shore of Nova Scotia (Lobster Fishing Areas 33, 34, and 35). They implemented waste management systems for responsible disposal of end-of-life gear, retrieved ghost gear from priority areas, and conducted an impact assessment of ghost gear during retrieval. This project is complete. | $432,299.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| British Columbia Shellfish Growers Association | Comox, BC | This project provided funding to assist shellfish farmers with the cost of recovering subsurface debris and disposing of it responsibly. Since the project was initiated in 2020, British Columbia Shellfish Growers Association members have undertaken clean-ups of twenty-seven suspended culture operations. This project is complete. | $350,000.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association | Cape Breton, NS | This one-year project focused on the removal of ALDFG in areas that have been highlighted as a concern by fish harvesters in Lobster Fishing Area 27. Working with the local fish harvesters, the Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association identified hotspots for historical and recently lost fishing gear. This project is complete. | $58,353.39 | Retrieval Technology |
| Centre de recherche sur les milieux insulaires et maritimes (CERMIM) | Magdalen Islands, QC | Using state-of-the-art equipment, the CERMIM, in partnership with the L'Université du Québec à Rimouski and Pêcheries FACEP Inc, located and retrieved ghost gear in crab fishing areas 12 and 12F off the Magdalen Islands using an underwater robot. The gear was brought to the CERMIM Lab-Usine to be used in various up-cycling projects. This project is complete. | $407,030.00 | Retrieval Technology |
| Coastal Restoration Society | Tofino, BC | This project removed and disposed of ghost gear and marine aquaculture debris in areas of high concern, highlighted by community, government and industry working groups. Additionally, it piloted new debris-detection technology and survey mapping tools. This project is complete. | $700,000.00 | Retrieval Technology |
| Comité ZIP Côte-Nord du Golfe | Sept-Îles, QC | This project identified and recovered lost fishing gear in the coastal waters of the Sept-Îles sector in collaboration with Les Pêcheries Shipek, the Institut technologique de maintenance industrielle (ITMI) and the Centre d'éducation et de recherche de Sept-Îles (CERSI). This project is complete. | $41,005.00 | Retrieval Technology |
| Comité ZIP des Îles-de-la-Madeleine | Magdalen Islands, QC | This project located, recovered and assessed the impact of ghost gear in areas of high ecological value on the Magdalen Plateau. Areas with a high rate of gear loss were determined with the help of the Regroupement des pêcheurs, pêcheuruses des côtes des Îles (RPPCI). An underwater camera identified ghost gear and a team of professional divers, Ultratech Maritime, carried out the retrievals. The recovered gear was dismantled and recycled or recovered by Merinov, who developed a network to facilitate the recovery, reuse, or recycling of lost fishing gear off the Magdalen Islands. This project is complete. | $204,457.50 | Retrieval Technology |
| Coopérative des Capitaines-Propriétaires de la Gaspésie (APCG) | Rivière-au-Renard, QC | The Coopérative des Capitaines-Propriétaires de la Gaspésie (APCG) project focused on the recovery of ghost gear in Snow Crab Fishing Area 12 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This project is complete. | $765,240.00 | Retrieval Technology |
| CSR GeoSurveys Ltd. | Bay of Fundy, NS | This project took place in Lobster Fishing Areas 32-33 and 36-38, and focused on the identification, retrieval, and disposal of ghost fishing gear from challenging areas within the Bay of Fundy and Eastern Nova Scotia. This project is complete. | $857,862.70 | Retrieval Disposal |
| CSR GeoSurveys Ltd. | Northumberland Strait, NS | This project took place in Lobster Fishing Areas 26A and 26B and focused on the identification, retrieval and disposal of ghost fishing gear from challenging areas within the Northumberland Strait. This project is complete. | $607,280.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| The Eastern Nova Scotia Marine Stewardship Society | Louisbourg, NS | This project piloted and studied GPS-enabled smart buoy technology in the Maritimes, assessing its applicability across different fisheries and industries. Three fixed-gear wild-catch fisheries in the Maritimes were identified as candidates for piloting the technology: lobster, snow crab, and whelk. In addition, the technology was used to track gear at mussel and scallop aquaculture operations. This project is complete. | $121,388.20 | Technology |
| Ecotrust Canada | Kunghit Island, BC | Ecotrust Canada focused on the Area A Crab Fishery completing six days of retrieval activities for commercial fishing gear. Additionally, this project provided a report summarizing compliance issues, involving gear loss, collected through Electronic Monitoring as well as a report on survey findings and economic analysis of lost gear in the Area A fishery. This project is complete. | $157,114.97 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Emerald Sea Protection Society | Salish Sea, BC | Combining expertise and experience of commercial survey divers with local knowledge of waters and coastal communities, Emerald Sea Protection Society used specialized equipment and methods to safely discover and extract fishing gear that was damaging marine ecosystems. This work was based out of Vancouver, but active throughout the Salish Seas and the coast of BC. This project is complete. | $449,017.48 | Retrieval Technology |
| Esgenoopetitj First Nation | Miramichi Bay, NB | Esgenoopetitj First Nation has been involved in the Commercial Communal Fishery and the Food, Social Ceremonial Fishery since 2001. The Miramichi Bay Fishing Gear Retrieval and Disposal project consisted of 18 experienced fishers (3 per vessel). Retrievals took place in lobster fishing area 23 and staff were situated at the wharf to separate all fishing gear collected into proper categories. This project is complete. | $120,000.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Fish, Food, and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-UNIFOR) | St. John's, NL | The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union implemented a harvester-driven initiative to recover ghost gear across Newfoundland and Labrador. They incorporated harvester expertise in gear re-use, port infrastructure, and effective gear retrieval measures to mitigate ghost fishing and build capacity for the responsible disposal of fishing gear across the province. This project is complete. | $659,685.08 | Retrieval Technology |
| Fishing Gear Coalition of Atlantic Canada | National | In partnership with Cleanfarms, the Fishing Gear Coalition of Atlantic Canada (FGCAC) collaborated with key stakeholders and rights holders to implement a self-sustaining product stewardship program for end-of-life fishing gear across Eastern Canada. The FGCAC engaged with over 100 stakeholders to produce comprehensive reports on end-of-life gear management in Nova Scotia. This project is complete. | $422,500.00 | Disposal |
| Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society | Lower Fraser River, BC | The Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society (FRSCS) worked with volunteers, First Nations fishers, non-First Nations fishers and anglers, enforcement representatives, and biologists to remove ghost gear from the Fraser River. A series of diverse teams surveyed key locations on the Fraser River and identified, removed, returned, and disposed of ghost gear. The project occurred across 200km of the Fraser River from the mouth of the Fraser River to Yale. This project is complete. | $95,844.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Friends of McNabs Island Society | McNab Island, NS | Friends of McNabs Island Society conducted shoreline clean-ups on McNabs and Lawlor Islands Provincial Park in Nova Scotia. This project is complete. | $21,000.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Fundy North Fisherman's Association | St. Andrews, NB | This project addressed the gap in responsible gear disposal by improving recycling capacity to manage end-of-life lobster traps in southwestern New Brunswick. End-of-life traps from fishermen and traps that were collected during retrieval activities were diverted from the waste stream through the project's recycling initiatives. This project is complete. | $223,165.00 | Disposal |
| Goodwood Plastic Products | Atlantic Canada | This project continued building an industrial-scale solution for the management and recycling of the large quantities of end-of-life fishing plastics that are generated each year in Atlantic Canada. This project is complete. | $237,000.00 | Disposal |
| Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute | Caribbean Sea | This project represented a partnership between the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute and the Global Ghost Gear Initiative. The overall goal was to reduce fishing gear loss and the impact of ghost gear in the Caribbean Sea. This was achieved through supporting fishers in their efforts to reduce ghost gear, developing a regional Caribbean Fisheries Management and ghost gear action plan, and extending baseline analysis and hotspot mapping in the Caribbean. This project is complete. | $281,000.00 | Leadership Disposal |
| Les Cultures du Large inc. | Magdalen Islands, QC | Les Cultures du Large cleaned up two former scallop aquaculture sites, located 20km off the coast of the Magdalen Islands, and restored them to their natural state. Les Cultures du large removed 500 tonnes of materials from the aquaculture sites, 470 tonnes of which were reused or recycled. This project is complete. | $372,940.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Les Pecheries Shipek | Anticosti, QC | This project recovered lost gear in the West Point area of Anticosti. Every year, harvesters report losing fishing gear in the deep area. This project is complete. | $14,700.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance | Fraser River, BC | The Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance (LFFA) and the Fraser Valley Aboriginal Fisheries Society (FVAFS) collaborated on a First Nations-led ALDFG survey and retrieval program in the Lower Fraser River between the mouth to Sawmill Creek and the Fraser Estuary. Project members communicated with fishers and fishery representatives to identify locations where ALDFG had been seen, as well as developed/executed disposal protocols that helped to physically remove ALDFG from identified areas. This project is complete. | $61,526.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Malahat Nation | Salish Sea, BC | The Malahat Nation Ghost Gear Initiative mitigated the ecological impacts of derelict fishing gear in the Salish Sea and provide knowledge to local Indigenous and fishing communities. This project focused on refining methods for gear surveys and retrieval, with efforts focused on the deep waters of Malahat traditional marine territory to restore and preserve valuable natural resources that Malahat ancestors have cared for since time immemorial. This project is complete. *Malahat received a lump sum of $336,750.00 for three years (2021-2024). |
$336,750.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Maliseet Nation Conservation Council | Bay of Fundy, NB | This project focused on using scuba and surface-supply diving as an effective ghost-gear recovery method in the Bay of Fundy. Maliseet Nation Conservation Council worked with COJO Diving and the Marine Debris Strategic Action Committee to develop safe and effective methods for removing ghost gear from known locations using diving. Eight diving trips were conducted, demonstrating the efficiency of using diving to clean up abandoned weir sites, which is not feasible using traditional retrieval methods. This project is complete. | $395,620.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Marine Thinking | LFA 33, NS | The Lobster Trap Tracking, Monitoring, and Retrieval System is a modern approach to ALDFG reduction that aims to target and prevent the loss of fishing gear at the source. The system used a network of advanced tagging devices to identify, track, and monitor lobster traps deployed during the fishing season. The system was able to identify, locate, scan, and retrieve lost lobster traps, and conduct data analysis for lobster trap loss. This project is complete. | $120,000.00 | Technology |
| Maritime Fishermen's Union | LFA 26, NS | This collaborative project reduced and assessed the impacts of ALDFG, also known as ghost gear, in southwestern Nova Scotia from August 2021 to March 2022. This was accomplished through retrieving ALDFG from at sea and areas of accumulation along shorelines and assessing ALDFG after retrieval. This project is complete. | $110,000.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Merinov | Gaspé, QC | This project eliminated abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear and end-of-life fishing gear through recovering, recycling and reusing by applying a circular economy concept. The objectives were to adapt processes of dismantling, cleaning, and separation of the components of ghost gear and storage of the appropriate materials, and to establish a system of traceability. Due to the residual material management issues related to its island environment, the Magdalen Islands are an ideal environment for setting up a process and recovering ghost gear. This project is complete. | $660,154.00 | Disposal |
| Natural Resources Consultants | Haida Gwaii, BC; Queen Charlotte Sound, BC; Salish Sea, BC | Natural Resources Consultants (NRC) collaborated with Dive Safe International to integrate training on retrieving lost and abandoned fish gear into the diving school's commercial unrestricted surface supply diving training. They also completed was a predictive model identifying areas in BC where fishing gear is lost or accumulating. NRC worked with Emerald Sea Protection Society on surveying and removing lost fishing gear from marine waters around Prince Rupert. This project is complete. *Natural Resources Consultants received $454,970.90 (2020-2022) which was divided between 3 projects. |
$454,970.90 | Retrieval Technology |
| Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association | Newfoundland and Labrador | The Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association partnered with Real-Time Ocean Data Services Ltd. and Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services Ltd. to collect ghost gear at sites in Newfoundland and Labrador. This project removed ghost gear from areas surrounding decommissioned mussel aquaculture sites, which ceased operations in the 1990s. Gathered materials were reused or sent for responsible disposal. This project is complete. | $249,251.95 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Ocean Conservancy (Global Ghost Gear Initiative®) | Vanuatu and Solomon Islands | The Global Ghost Gear Initiative®, based at Ocean Conservancy, has been collaborating with partners in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands since 2017 to identify and implement sustainable strategies for preventing and recovering lost fishing gear in the region. As a follow-on to the project supported by the 2020-2022 Ghost Gear Fund, this body of work scaled up testing of new gear-tracking technologies and expand an innovative buy-back scheme for end-of-life gear in Vanuatu, while continuing to strengthen local capacity for gear management best practices. This project is complete. | $419,348.00 | Leadership Retrieval |
| Ocean Conservancy (Global Ghost Gear Initiative®) | Washington, DC | This project convened two roundtable dialogues, one for government representatives and one for private sector stakeholders, to address the need for coordinated action and science-based decision-making on ghost gear at the international level and across the seafood supply chain. Additionally, it developed and disseminated key resources to build evidence and scale solutions for ghost gear, as well as online tools to support the uptake of new guidelines focused on reducing marine debris from aquaculture operations. Lastly, this project launched the North American Net Collection Initiative (NANCI) platform, as the first transboundary effort to document the impact and drivers of ghost gear, build capacity, and help facilitate the collection and processing of end-of-life fishing nets to produce high-end consumer goods. This project is complete. | $409,430.00 | Leadership |
| Pacific Prawn Fishermen's Association | Nanaimo, BC | The Pacific Prawn Fishermen's Association, in conjunction with a fishery-independent at-sea observer company, developed a real time, at-sea, electronic data capture program for recording gear loss in the BC Commercial Prawn Fishery. The data collected provides precise locations and amount of gear loss. A “push button” function for the electronic Vessel Monitoring System was developed and linked to individual trap tags, to ensure fishery-independent oversight in the recording and reporting of lost gear. This project is complete. | $19,882.00 | Technology |
| Petty Harbour Fisherman's Cooperative | Petty Harbour, NL | Along the eastern shore of the Avalon Peninsula, local fish harvesters were engaged in locating, retrieving, and disposing of ALDFG in the coastal waters adjacent to their communities. Using multiple vessels equipped with chart plotters, Petty Harbour Fisherman's Cooperative completed a grid search from Cape St. Francis to Cape Pine. In 2021, they increased the search area, tested the effectiveness of alternate retrieval gear designs, repaired and replaced damaged drag gear, and increased public engagement and education. This project is complete. | $523,779.85 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association | Gulf of St. Lawrence, NB | The PEI Modified Grapnel Trialing and Wide Scale Gear Retrieval Project trialed modified and standard grapnel equipment to test effectiveness, productivity and ease in gear retrieval efforts. Information collected was used to incorporate optimal grapnel equipment through an ALDFG retrieval exercise in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 25 and was shared with local fishers, fishing associations, and partnered organizations. This project is complete. | $75,583.75 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels du sud de la Gaspésie | Chandler, QC | The Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels du sud de la Gaspésie (RPPSG) reduced the environmental impact of lobster fishing by offering local harvesters a simple, easy and environmentally responsible way to dispose of their old lobster traps. RPPSG set up a program for the collection and disposal of old wire traps allowing harvesters to dispose of them in an eco-responsible manner. The old wire traps were sorted and dismantled to recycle as much material as possible. This project is complete. | $97,026.18 | Disposal |
| Richmond County Inshore Fishermen's Association | St. Peter's Bay, NS | This project removed fishing debris in St. Peter's Bay. This project helped clean up the ocean floor, reduced negative impacts on marine life, and provided a new life for ALDFG. This project is complete. | $37,000.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Shift Environmental Technologies Ltd. | Prince Rupert, BC | Lax Kw'alaams First Nation and Shift Environmental Technologies surveyed, located and retrieved lost crab pots in the Prince Rupert area. When gear was located, an ROV equipped with imaging sonar, camera and grapple was used. This project worked to remove abandoned crab pots from Lax Kw'alaams Marine Territory, develop best practices for ROV crab pot gear retrieval, and provide ghost gear data for future recovery operations. This project is complete. | $400,000.00 | Retrieval Disposal Technology |
| Stand Out For Environment Restoration Initiative | Nigeria | This project engaged coastal communities in Nigeria to assist in the development and formulation of policies for the prevention and mitigation of ghost gear through stakeholders workshops and conferences. The Stand Out for Environment Restoration Initiative worked to improve livelihoods and create economic opportunities for fishing communities through craft workshops of end-of-life ghost gear. An integrated ghost gear recovery program was created with a focus on offshore recovery, and installed end-of-life gear recovery centres (HubNet stations) for collection, sorting, and analysis of retrieved ghost gear in 2 locations. In 2020, 2 workshops with over 150 attendees were conducted and a waste disposal facility for marine waste was set up in Lagos, Nigeria. In 2021, additional funding expanded the project to 2 new locations; one in Nigeria and one in Cameroon. This expansion marked the first international collaboration for SOFER with another West African community. The funding offered support to maintain 2 previously constructed HubNets bringing the total number of end-of-life recovery centres to 6. This project is complete. | $450,000.00 | Leadership Retrieval |
| T Buck Suzuki Foundation | Vancouver, BC | The T Buck Suzuki Foundation and Archipelago collaborated with BC commercial fish harvesters and fishing associations to locate, retrieve, and prevent lost gear in 10 locations along the BC coast. In 2020, over 150 harvesters were engaged in hotspot identification and mapping of lost gear and identified 10 priority retrieval areas. In 2021-2022, a series of harvester-led retrievals took place, along with work to determine the ecological impacts of lost gear, and to identify viable solutions for future gear loss. This project is complete. | $535,718.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| The Confederacy of Mainland Mi'Kmaq | Digby, NS; Northumberland Strait, NS. | The Keskaqowey Apuktuk Memjewey Mi'kma'ki Project (Ghost Gear in Mi'kma'ki) focused on the continued health of fisheries across Nova Scotia through the practice of Netukulimk, a central aspect of the Mi'kmaq way of life that aims to secure environmental sustainability for future generations. The Keskaqowey Apuktuk Memjewey Mi'kma'ki project focused on fishing waste reduction through a sustainable swap program where Mi'kmaq fishermen can exchange conventional fishing gear for more sustainable alternatives. This Project also hosted educational workshops focused on applying for collection permits, fishing waste reduction, and the proper disposal of fishing gear. Finally, the team performed a waste audit on several fishing vessels to determine the quantity and type of gear being lost by Mi'kmaq fishermen. This project is complete. *The Confederacy of Mainland Mi'Kmaq received a lump sum of $172,260.00 to carry out work in two locations: Digby, NS and Northumberland Strait, NS. |
$172,260.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| The Ocean Legacy Foundation | Powell River, BC; Tofino, BC | The Ocean Legacy Foundation is proud partners with the qathet Regional District and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. Two pilot collection programs were built in Tofino and Powell River, BC, to collect and process ALDFG. Phase II of this project supported the creation of three additional pilot depots and built capacity at Ocean Legacy's first two ocean plastic depot centres. This phase established industrial-scaled hub for ALDFG material collection, processing, and resource distribution with the Steveston Harbour Authority and developed localized nylon processing capacity within BC. This project is complete. *Ocean Legacy Foundation received a lump sum of $1,621,137.50 to carry out work in two locations: Powell River, BC and Tofino, BC. |
$1,621,137.50 | Disposal |
| Titan Maritime Ltd. | South Shore, NS | This project focused on the removal of ALDFG in Lobster Fishing Areas 33 & 34. Working with local fish harvesters and utilizing an ROV, retrievals took place in areas of high concentration of gear. This project is complete. | $204,000.00 | Retrieval Technology |
| Torngat Joint Fisheries Board (TJFB) | Labrador, NL | The TJFB focused on areas of the Labrador Sea where Greenland halibut (turbot) and snow crab fisheries have been conducted for multiple years. Harvesting stakeholders were interviewed to build an inventory of sites where gear had been lost and the data collected was digitized on marine charts. Ghost gear locations were investigated by piloting side-scan sonar that was deployed from a 100' vessel. This project is complete. | $265,000.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
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