What is ghost gear

One of the biggest threats to our oceans is marine litter and in particular, ghost fishing gear. The term ghost gear refers to any fishing gear that has been abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded (for example nets, line, rope, traps, pots, and floats). Other common terms include abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) and derelict fishing gear (DFG). This marine pollution is some of the most harmful debris found in our oceans and can be fatal to fish, marine mammals and other marine life, poses a navigation hazard, and also breaks down into other forms of pollution such as micro-plastics.

The cause of ghost gear is primarily snagging, entanglement with other fishing gear, weather conditions and gear being incidentally cut by marine traffic crossing. Intentional discard by harvesters is less common and is usually caused by illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing where vessels may cut their gear loose to evade capture by authorities.

Some statistics:

• Each year, more than eight million metric tons of plastic end up in the world's oceans, and globally it is estimated that between 600,000 and 800,000 metric tonnes of ghost gear enter the oceans on an annual basis.
• The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that ghost gear represents approximately 10% of marine debris by volume.
• It is estimated that between 5% to 30% of harvestable fish are fished by ghost gear globally, posing a major threat to human health, livelihoods and global food security.
• Recent studies indicate ghost fishing gear makes up to 70% of all macro-plastics in the ocean by weight. It can also degrade into microplastics in the environment.
• Ghost gear has been identified as a key source of marine litter in the Canadian Arctic, much of which originates offshore.
• Less than 10% of plastic used in Canada is recycled. Without a change in course, Canadians will throw away an estimated $11 billion worth of plastic materials each year by 2030.

Canada has recognized the threat that ghost gear poses in our waters and around the world, and we have identified the issue as one of national importance. We are committed to taking concrete actions to support ghost gear prevention, retrieval and responsible disposal by collaborating with many groups, such as:

• Indigenous groups
• fish harvesters
• the aquaculture industry
• non-profit organizations
• communities