Ghost Gear Program
Ghost Gear Program’s Gear Management Survey
Share your view and ideas on the future of ghost-gear prevention and management in Canada. Fill out the survey before November 30, 2024.
On this page
- Canada's commitments to addressing ocean plastics, including Ghost Gear
- Ghost Gear Action Plan (2019-2027)
- Phase 1: Building capacity, knowledge and becoming world leaders
- Phase 2: Modernizing Canada's fisheries
- Phase 3: Managing Canada's fisheries
- Next steps
- Contact
Canada is a world leader in addressing abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear otherwise known as ghost gear. In 2019, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) established the Ghost Gear Program to address this source of marine pollution. From 2019-2024, the main focus has been the delivery of targeted ghost gear funding, investing over $58.3 million(M) in 143 projects.
Canada's Ghost Gear Action Plan is to establish a guiding framework that contains concrete actions to support the country to improve the management of ghost gear in Canada into the future.
- Phase 1 (2019 – 2024) was the initiation of the Ghost Gear Program and delivery of the targeted ghost gear funding to increase capacity in addressing ghost gear.
- Phase 2 (2024 – 2027) is the transition from managing funded ghost gear activities to developing a prevention-focused strategy, guided by feedback and input from engagement and consultation sessions. The aim is to modernize Canada's domestic fisheries operations and regulatory regime to effectively address the impacts of ghost gear. By integrating ghost gear best practices into fisheries management on a fishery by fishery or gear type basis, Canada can attain modernized, sustainable, and resilient fisheries while advancing its commitments to achieving zero plastic waste by 2027.
- Phase 3 (2027 onwards) will be the active management of Canadian fisheries utilizing the tools that are developed in Phase 2.
Canada's commitments to addressing ocean plastics, including Ghost Gear
During Canada's G7 presidency in 2018, our domestic and international commitments to address marine litter, including abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), were strengthened by launching the Ocean Plastics Charter and the Charlevoix Blueprint for Healthy Oceans, Seas and Resilient Coastal Communities
Canada's domestic and international commitments to address ALDFG were strengthened by signing on to the Global Ghost Gear Initiative in 2018, and by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joining the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy in 2020.
In 2018, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment introduced the Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste (Phase 1) to support implementation of the Ocean Plastics Charter and Charlevoix Blueprint. The Strategy promotes initiatives to implement a circular economy approach to plastics, including action to reduce plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems. The Canada-Wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste (Phase 2) was published in 2020 and includes specific commitments to reduce plastic waste and pollution generated by aquatic activities, including ALDFG.
In 2019, Environment and Climate Change Canada led the Federal Leadership Toward Zero Plastic Waste Initiative to support implementation of the Zero Plastic Waste Strategy. As part of this initiative, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) created the Canadian Ghost Gear Program, including the Ghost Gear Fund, which provides financial support to assist Indigenous groups, fish harvesters, the aquaculture industry, non-profits organizations and communities, to take concrete actions to support ghost gear prevention, retrieval and responsible disposal. The Fund also supports fish harvesters to acquire new gear technologies to reduce gear loss.
The department has resources and funding opportunities to support innovations, business ideas, projects, and research related to plastic waste. Through Innovative Solutions Canada challenges, the Government invites small and medium-sized enterprises to propose innovations that address specific challenges. As a part of this program, Environment and Climate Change Canada has launched the Canadian Plastics Innovation Challenges, to support the development of Canadian-made clean technologies to achieve Canada's vision of a zero plastic waste future.
Ghost Gear Action Plan
The purpose of the Action Plan is to establish a guiding framework that outlines concrete actions to support Canada in addressing ghost gear.
Phase 1: Building capacity, knowledge, and becoming world leaders
Phase 1 established Canadian efforts and the immediate needs to identify the scale of ghost gear in Canada and address the existing gear in our waters. Through these efforts, outlined below, Canada has become a world leader on addressing ghost gear.
Lost gear reporting
Mandatory lost gear reporting was established for all commercial fisheries as a condition of licence in 2020.
Fishing Gear Reporting System (FGRS)
Launched July 14, 2021, the Fishing Gear Reporting System is a free Government of Canada tool that will help Canadian harvesters meet their mandatory commercial lost gear reporting requirements.
Ghost Gear targeted funding
Targeted funding for ghost gear activities that was intended to increase capacity, mitigate the impact of gear loss, and gather data regarding the quantity and impact of ghost gear in Canada, as the tools to reduce gear loss and manage end-of-life are developed.
At this time, there is no source of funding available for targeted projects.
International leadership
Canada is recognized internationally as a leader in addressing ghost gear due to actions taken to date. Canada advocates for strengthening ghost gear measures at international forums including, but not limited to:
- United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution
- International Maritime Organization (IMO) Sub-committee on Pollution Prevention and Response Correspondence Group on marine plastic litter
- Arctic Council Protection of Arctic Marine Environment (PAME)
- UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
- Our Ocean Conference
- Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs)
Additionally, through the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), Canada together with the United States and Mexico have embarked on a trilateral multi-year project to address ghost gear in North America.
Phase 2: Modernizing Canada's fisheries
DFO is transitioning from primarily managing targeted project funding to a prevention-focused strategy to modernize Canada's domestic fisheries. On-going engagement and consultation will be an integral part in the development of ghost gear measures.
With stakeholder and indigenous partner guidance and feedback, DFO will be:
- Developing a Ghost Gear Regulation and Policy
- Creating a risk assessment matrix that incorporates variables such as fishery and gear types and habitats
- Establishing best management practices
- Assessing fishery and gear-specific considerations
- Exploring tools and mechanisms to operationalize ghost gear prevention, loss, and trailing or use of technological advancements based on stakeholder feedback
The Ghost Gear Program has collected and analyzed issues and challenges identified by stakeholders, Indigenous groups, recipients of Ghost Gear targeted funding, industry representatives, internal DFO working groups, and external partners, such as the Global Ghost Gear Initiative and Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Addressing ghost gear includes:
- Circular Economy, plastics reduction and responsible disposal
- Responsible gear management
- Technological advancements
- Operationalizing gear retrieval and barrier reduction
- Fish harvester management and compliance
- Regulation, policy optimization, and licencing updates
- Operational considerations
- Knowledge Gaps
Phase 3: Managing Canada's fisheries
Phase 3 will be the future of Canada's efforts to address ghost gear, focusing on the implementation of the tools that are appropriate for Canadian fisheries, informed by stakeholder feedback and fishery risk assessments.
Fisheries will be managed using ghost gear best practices, information, and tools developed in Phase 2 while continuing to engage with stakeholders and update requirements as conditions, technology, and needs evolve.
Our forward-looking Ghost Gear Action Plan will be published by 2027, and be based on the foundational work, review, feedback and contributions of Canadian stakeholders, harvesters and innovators in Phases 1,2 and 3 .
Canada aspires to attain modernized, sustainable, and resilient fisheries while advancing its commitments to achieving zero plastic waste.
Next steps
On-going engagement and consultations throughout the development of the Ghost Gear Action Plan
- Regional meetings: DFO will be hosting engagement sessions in each region (Pacific, Gulf, Maritimes, Arctic, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Quebec) in 2024
- Ghost gear presentations at existing Advisory Committees, Industry meetings, etc.
- Online Survey: A survey will be conducted in October-November 2024 to seek feedback and input on proposed methods for addressing ghost gear.
Presenting results:
- Information and feedback gathered throughout engagement activities and correspondence received in 2024 will be presented in a “What We Heard” report in early 2025.
- Second International Fishing Gear Innovation Summit February 2025: Canada will be hosting the 2nd International Fishing Gear Innovation Summit February 25-26, 2025, in Moncton, NB. The Gear Summit will be a unique opportunity for harvesters and other experts from around the world to discuss Canada's successes in preventing marine mammal entanglements, and offering best practices for sustainable fishing gear management.
Contact
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