Ghost Gear Fund Projects 2020-2022
The Ghost Gear Fund encourages Canadians to take actions to reduce plastic in the marine environment. Each year, more than eight million metric tons of plastic end up in the world's oceans. Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), known as ghost gear, as well as plastic waste from aquaculture, are major contributors to the plastic debris problem. Recent studies indicate that ghost fishing gear may make up to 70% of all macro-plastics in the ocean by weight.
The Ghost Gear Fund supported 49 projects over two years (2020-2022).
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 | This project aims to reduce the impacts of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) on marine mammals, such as the North Atlantic right whale. The APPCA will retrieve ALDFG in crab and lobster fishing areas in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, and will acquire/pilot innovative gear technologies to help prevent future gear loss. | $400,000.00 | Retrieval Technology |
| Association des Pêcheurs Professionnels Crabiers Acadiens, Inc. (APPCA) | Gulf of St. Lawrence, NB | This project will undergo large-scale mapping and retrieval of ALDFG in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence to decrease possible interactions with marine mammals, such as the North Atlantic right whale, and to reduce ocean plastics. The APPCA will retrieve ALDFG in snow crab fishing areas and will ensure that recovered gear is disposed of responsibly. | $285,000.00 | Retrieval Technology |
| Blue Ocean Gear Inc. | Pacific Coast, BC | Blue Ocean Gear and the T. Buck Suzuki Foundation are working collaboratively with Dungeness crab, Halibut and prawn fishers in British Columbia to reduce ghost fishing by preventing gear loss through the use of Smart Buoy technology. Blue Ocean Gear’s buoys track deployed gear, monitoring location, movement and environmental conditions. Fishers also receive alerts if their traps, nets or longlines have moved beyond a threshold area, allowing timely retrieval before it becomes lost or entangled. *Blue Ocean Gear has been 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 |
| Blue Ocean Gear Inc. | Gulf of St. Lawrence, NB | Blue Ocean Gear and the T. Buck Suzuki Foundation are working collaboratively in with Dungeness crab, Halibut and prawn fishers in British Columbia to reduce ghost fishing by preventing gear loss through the use of Smart Buoy technology. Blue Ocean Gear’s buoys track deployed gear, monitoring location, movement and environmental conditions. Fishers also receive alerts if their traps, nets or longlines have moved beyond a threshold area, allowing timely retrieval before it becomes lost or entangled. *Blue Ocean Gear has been 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 |
| British Columbia Shellfish Growers Association | Comox, BC | There are currently 226 shellfish farms in British Columbia that use suspended culture techniques. Many of these farms have operated for decades. Over that time, culture materials (predator nets, ropes, trays etc.) have inevitably been lost to the seabed, where they can impact fish and fish habitat. This project provides 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 27 suspended culture operations. Thus far, an estimated 27 tonnes of marine debris have been removed and disposed of at recycling or landfill facilities. |
$350,000.00 | Retrieval |
| Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association | Cape Breton, NS | This one-year project focuses on the removal of ALDFG in areas that have been highlighted as a concern by harvesters in Lobster Fishing Area 27. Working with the local fish harvesters, the Cape Breton Fish Harvesters Association has identified hotspots for historical and recently lost fishing gear. Three ALDFG retrieval trips took place in 2020, and 15 trips are planned in 2021. | $75,256.30 | 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, will locate crab pots in crab fishing areas 12 and 12F off the Magdalen Islands and recover them using an underwater robot. The gear will then be brought to the CERMIM Lab-Usine to be used in various up-cycling projects. | $407,030.00 | Retrieval Disposal Technology |
| Coastal Action | South Shore, NS | This project is a collaboration between industry, academia, and government to prevent, reduce, and assess impacts of ghost gear on the South Shore of Nova Scotia (Lobster Fishing Areas 33, 34, and 35 in Nova Scotia only) from July 2020 to March 2022. They are implementing waste management systems for responsible disposal of end-of-life gear, retrieving ghost gear from priority areas, and conducting an impact assessment of ghost gear during retrieval. Coastal Action is also engaging in ongoing awareness campaigns throughout the project. In 2020, they accomplished 65 retrieval trips (60 at sea trips and 5 shoreline cleanups), removing 9 tonnes of marine debris including 288 lobster traps and over 2000kg of miscellaneous gear. Coastal Action also set up 17 rope collection bins at 9 wharves and collected 6 tonnes of rope. |
$432,299.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Comité ZIP Côte-Nord du Golfe | Sept-Îles, QC | The Comité ZIP Côte-Nord du Golfe is carrying out this project in collaboration with various local partners, including Les Pêcheries Shipek, the Institut technologique de maintenance industrielle (ITMI) and the Centre d'éducation et de recherche de Sept-Îles (CERSI). The project aims to identify and recover lost fishing gear (including snow crab pots) in the coastal waters of the Sept-Îles sector. | $41,005.00 | Retrieval Technology |
| Comité ZIP des Îles-de-la-Madeleine | Magdalen Islands, QC | The project aims to locate, recover and assess 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 Island fishermen, in particular with the help of the Regroupement des pêcheurs, pêcheuruses des côtes des Îles (RPPCI). An underwater camera identifies the ghost gear then a team of professional divers, Ultratech Maritime, carries out the recovery at sea. The recovered gear is then dismantled, and the various components recycled or recovered on site by Merinov. This project will also support Merinov in developing a network to facilitate the recovery, re-use or recycling of lost fishing gear off the Magdalen Islands. |
$204,457.50 | Retrieval Disposal Technology |
| Coopérative des Capitaines-Propriétaires de la Gaspésie (APCG) | Rivière-au-Renard, QC | The ACPG is in its 2nd year of recovery of ghost gear in snow crab fishing area 12 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In 2020, 34 days of recovery took place and 2,400 kg of gear was recovered. | $765,240.00 | Retrieval Technology |
| Coastal Restoration Society | Tofino, BC | This project aims to remove and dispose ghost gear and marine aquaculture debris in areas of high concern highlighted by community, government and industry working groups, while also piloting new debris-detection technology and survey mapping tools. | $700,000.00 | Retrieval Technology |
| CSR GeoSurveys Ltd. | Bay of Fundy, NS | This project takes place in Lobster Fishing Areas 32-33 and 36-38, and focuses on the identification, retrieval and disposal of ghost fishing gear from challenging areas within the Bay of Fundy and Eastern Nova Scotia. In 2020 they undertook 11 retrieval trips in the Bay of Fundy and retrieved over 4000kgs of marine debris, including 173 lobster traps. | $692,862.70 | Retrieval Disposal |
| CSR GeoSurveys Ltd. | Northumberland Strait, NS | This project takes place in Lobster Fishing Areas 26A and 26B and focuses on the identification, retrieval and disposal of ghost fishing gear from challenging areas within the Northumberland Strait. In 2020, they completed 16 retrieval trips and removed 37 lobster traps, 10 large gillnets, 54 kg of steel cable, 4 large anchors and 300m of rope. | $607,280.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Eastern Nova Scotia Marine Stewardship Society | Louisbourg, NS | This project includes pilot studies of 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 have been identified as candidates for piloting the technology: lobster, snow crab, and whelk. In addition, the technology will be used to track gear at mussel and scallop aquaculture operations. So far, 74 Smart Buoys have been manufactured and received, and on-water testing and deployment of smart buoys have started at aquaculture sites | $121,388.20 | Technology |
| Ecotrust Canada | Kunghit Island, BC | Ecotrust Canada and the Area A Crab Association are coordinating an enhanced gear recovery from the fishing grounds in Hecate Strait and McIntyre Bay. This fishing fleet has completed an annual gear cleanup for 20 years, and this year will include more days on the water recovering lost traps. Recovered traps will be studied to assess how long a trap continues to fish and the economic implications for lost gear. Six days of gear recovery were completed, collecting 146 traps and 30,500 feet of line, for a total weight of 6,105 kgs. |
$157,114.97 | Retrieval |
| 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 will use specialized equipment and methods to safely discover and extract fishing gear that may be damaging marine ecosystems. This work will be based out of Vancouver but active throughout the Salish seas and the coast of BC. | $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 will consist of 18 experienced fishers (3 per vessel). Retrievals will take place in lobster fishing area 23 and staff will be situated at the wharf to separate all fishing gear collected into proper categories. | $120,000.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Fish, Food, and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-UNIFOR) | St. John's, NL | The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union have implemented a harvester-driven initiative to recover ghost gear across Newfoundland and Labrador. These efforts incorporate 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. 11 retrieval efforts took place in 3 areas around the province, with over 790 kgs of ALDFG retrieved. |
$659,685.08 | Retrieval Technology |
| Fishing Gear Coalition of Atlantic Canada | National | In partnership with Cleanfarms, the Fishing Gear Collation of Atlantic Canada has 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 Fishing Gear Coalition of Atlantic Canada has engaged with over 100 stakeholders to produce comprehensive reports on end-of-life gear management in Nova Scotia. | $352,500.00 | Disposal |
| Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society | Lower Fraser River, BC | The Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society (FRSCS) is working with FRSCS volunteers, First Nations fishers, non-First Nations fishers and anglers, enforcement representatives and biologists to remove ghost gear from the Fraser River. One of the key elements of this project is coordinate and mobilize diverse teams to survey key locations on the Fraser River and identify, remove, return and dispose of ghost gear. Surveys and removals of ghost gear will occur across 200km of the Fraser River from the mouth of the Fraser River to Yale. Removals are scheduled from October 2021-March 2022. | $95,844.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Friends of McNabs Island Society | McNab Island, NS | Friends of McNabs Island Society is conducting shoreline clean-ups on McNabs and Lawlor Islands Provincial Park in Nova Scotia during September-October 2021. 90 volunteers participated in the event and 4-5 tonnes of garbage was collected including 80 lobster traps. | $21,000.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Fundy North Fisherman's Association | St. Andrews, NB | This project looks to address the gap around responsible disposal by building recycling capacity to manage end-of-life lobster traps in southwestern New Brunswick. End-of-life traps from fishermen and traps that are retrieved through retrieval activities will be diverted from the waste stream through prospective recycling initiatives. | $203,165.00 | Disposal |
| Goodwood Plastic Products | Atlantic Canada | This project aims to continue building an industrial-scale solution for the management and recycling of the large quantities of end-of-life fishing plastics generated each year in Atlantic Canada. | $237,000.00 | Disposal |
| Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute | Caribbean Sea | This project represents a partnership between the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute and the Global Ghost Gear Initiative with the overall goal of reducing fishing gear loss and the impact of ghost gear in the Caribbean Sea. The project provides capacity building and knowledge/technology transfer to the artisanal fishing community and other marine resource users in the Caribbean. This is 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. A fisher-led community education program will also help raise awareness on best practices for ALDFG prevention, reduction and retrieval. |
$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. The project is now complete. | $372,940.00 | Retrieval |
| Les Pecheries Shipek | Anticosti, QC | The project will recover lost gear (mainly snow crab traps) in the West Point area of Anticosti. Every year, harvesters report losing fishing gear in this considerably deep area. | $14,700.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance | Fraser River, BC | The overall goal of this project is to survey, recover, and responsibly recycle and/or dispose of ALDFG from the Lower Fraser River. The Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance (LFFA) and the Fraser Valley Aboriginal Fisheries Society (FVAFS) will be collaborating on a First Nations-lead abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fish gear (ALDFG) survey and retrieval program within the Lower Fraser River. LFFA and FVAFS staff and community members will survey and recover ALDFG from the Lower Fraser between the mouth to Sawmill Creek and the Fraser Estuary. Project members will communicate with fishers and fishery representatives to obtain specific information on locations where they have seen ALDFG, as well as develop/execute disposal protocols that will physically remove ALDFG from the identified areas. |
$61,526.00 | Retrieval |
| Malahat Nation | Salish Sea, BC | The Malahat Nation Ghost Gear Initiative aims to mitigate the ecological impacts of derelict fishing gear in the Salish Sea and provide knowledge to local Indigenous and fishing communities. This project will focus on refining methods for gear surveys and retrieval, with efforts focused in the deep waters of Malahat traditional marine territory. Malahat Nation will work collaboratively in the ghost gear program to restore and preserve valuable natural resources that Malahat ancestors have cared for since time immemorial. This project is internationally endorsed as an Ocean Decade Action. |
$336,750.00 | Retrieval |
| Maliseet Nation Conservation Council | Bay of Fundy, NB | This project focuses on using SCUBA and surface-supply diving as an effective ghost-gear recovery method in the Bay of Fundy. Ghost gear and other marine debris are a concern, now more than ever, due to the entanglement of North Atlantic right whales and other marine species in derelict fishing gear. Maliseet Nation Conservation Council is working 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 carried out, demonstrating the efficiency of using diving to clean up abandoned weir sites, which is not feasible using traditional retrieval methods. |
$431,844.00 | 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 will utilize a network of advanced tagging devices to identify, track, and monitor lobster traps deployed during the fishing season. The system will be able to identify, locate, scan, and retrieve lost lobster traps, and conduct data analysis for lobster trap loss. | $120,000.00 | Technology |
| Maritime Fishermen's Union | LFA 26, NS | The proposed collaborative project will work to reduce and assess impacts of ALDFG, also known as ghost gear, in southwestern Nova Scotia from August 2021 to March 2022. This will be accomplished through retrieving at sea ALDFG and from areas of accumulation along shorelines, and assessing ALDFG after retrieval. | $110,000.00 | Retrieval |
| Merinov | Gaspé, QC | This project aims to eliminate abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear and end-of-life fishing gear through recovery, recycling and reusing by applying a circular economy concept. The objectives are: 1) To set up a circuit for the routing of ALDFG to the sorting centers 2) To select and adapt the processes of dismantling, cleaning and separation of the components of ALDFG and storage of the appropriate materials 3) To integrate the maximum of easily recyclable materials in the existing channels and to test the possibilities of recovering materials that are more difficult to recycle using other approaches (marine grade fuel manufacturing) 4) To establish a system of traceability. Because of the residual material management issues related to its island environment, the Magdalen Islands are an ideal environment for setting up a process and recovering ALDFG. Thanks to new funding obtained in 2021, it was possible to include a collection of ALDFG at 3 sites on the Islands. The collection has resulted in the recovery of over 400 lobster cages and several meters of rope that are being dismantled. |
$660,154.00 | Disposal |
| Natural Resources Consultants | Haida Gwaii, 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. More than 15 divers participated in the classroom and field component of the training. NRC also completed a predictive model identifying areas in BC where fishing gear is likely lost or accumulating. Next up will be a full 2-day specialty diver training as well as field surveys and retrieval operations in Prince Rupert, Barkley Sound, and the Fraser Delta. NRC is currently working with Emerald Sea Protection Society on surveying and removing lost fishing gear from marine waters around Prince Rupert. *Natural Resources Consultants received a lump sum of $441,970.90 which was divided between 3 projects. |
$441,970.90* | Retrieval Technology |
| Natural Resources Consultants | Queen Charlotte Sound, 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. More than 15 divers participated in the classroom and field component of the training. NRC also completed a predictive model identifying areas in BC where fishing gear is likely lost or accumulating. Next up will be a full 2-day specialty diver training as well as field surveys and retrieval operations in Prince Rupert, Barkley Sound, and the Fraser Delta. NRC is currently working with Emerald Sea Protection Society on surveying and removing lost fishing gear from marine waters around Prince Rupert. *Natural Resources Consultants received a lump sum of $441,970.90 which was divided between 3 projects. |
$441,970.90* | Retrieval Technology |
| Natural Resources Consultants | 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. More than 15 divers participated in the classroom and field component of the training. NRC also completed a predictive model identifying areas in BC where fishing gear is likely lost or accumulating. Next up will be a full 2-day specialty diver training as well as field surveys and retrieval operations in Prince Rupert, Barkley Sound, and the Fraser Delta. NRC is currently working with Emerald Sea Protection Society on surveying and removing lost fishing gear from marine waters around Prince Rupert. *Natural Resources Consultants received a lump sum of $441,970.90 which was divided between 3 projects. |
$441,970.90* | Retrieval Technology |
| Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association | Newfoundland | The Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association is proud to partner with Real-Time Ocean Data Services Ltd. and Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services Ltd. to collect ghost gear at sites in Newfoundland and Labrador. The project will remove ghost gear from the areas surrounding decommissioned mussel aquaculture sites, which ceased operations in the 1990s. Materials gathered will be reused or sent for responsible disposal. Project advisory partners are Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Transport Canada, Qalipu First Nation, Norlantic Processors and the NL Department of Fisheries Forestry and Agriculture. |
$249,251.95 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Ocean Conservancy (Global Ghost Gear Initiative®) | Vanuatu and Solomon Islands | The Global Ghost Gear Initiative®, based at the Ocean Conservancy, has been working 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. This project aims to reduce ghost gear in the region by mapping and modelling regional hotspots to target both gear retrieval and loss prevention activities. Testing of new technologies for marking/tracking fishing gear will help prevent loss. In Year 1, hotpots for fishing nets were identified and mapped and a retrieval protocol was developed with local partners to reflect regional conditions. Year 2 will include the implementation of the retrieval protocol through at-sea trips to hotspot areas. |
$419,348.00 | Leadership Retrieval |
| Ocean Conservancy (Global Ghost Gear Initiative®) | Washington, DC | The Global Ghost Gear Initiative®, based at Ocean Conservancy, is working to reduce the scope and impact of ghost gear at a global level by producing actionable resources and harnessing the collective power of governments and corporations through discussion and information-sharing. Through this project they will convene 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. They will also develop and disseminate 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. Finally, they will launch 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. |
$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. The project is now 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 grid search from Cape St. Francis to Cape Pine. Throughout 2020, 58 retrieval trips were completed removing over 5,498 kg of ghost gear. The next phase in 2021 will involve increasing the search area further offshore by increasing the number of vessels and crew size, testing the effectiveness of alternate retrieval gear designs, repairing and replacing damaged drag gear from the previous season, and public engagement and education. | $523,779.85 | Retrieval |
| Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association | Gulf of St. Lawrence, NB | The PEI Modified Grapnel Trialing and Wide Scale Gear Retrieval Project will trial modified and standard grapnel equipment to test effectiveness, productivity and ease in gear retrieval efforts. Information collected will be used to incorporate optimal grapnel equipment through an ALDFG retrieval exercise in Lobster Fishing Area (LFA) 25. Information collected in this project will be shared with local fishers and fishing associations, along with our partnered organizations Maritime Fishermen’s Union, PEI Department of Fisheries and Communities, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. |
$75,583.75 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels du sud de la Gaspésie | Chandler, QC | The RPPSG want to reduce 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 to allow harvesters to dispose of them in an eco-responsible manner. The old wire traps are being sorted and dismantled in order to recycle as much material as possible. In 2020, with the help of 23 local harvesters, 106 ALDFG trips were made and6,096 lobster traps were retrieved and recycled. RPPSG intends to improve retrieval efforts by increasing harvester outreach, the number of retrieval trips, and recycling efforts. |
$112,958.78 | Disposal |
| Richmond County Inshore Fishermen's Association | St. Peter's Bay, NS | The goal of this project is to remove fishing debris in St. Peter’s Bay. This project will help clean up the ocean floor, reduce negative impact on marine life, and provide a new life for ALDFG. | $37,000.00 | Retrieval Disposal |
| Shift Environmental Technologies Ltd. | Prince Rupert, BC | Lax Kw’alaams First Nation and Shift Environmental Technologies are working to survey, locate and retrieve lost crab pots in the Prince Rupert area. When gear is located, ROV equipped with imaging sonar, camera and grapple will be used for retrievals. This project is working 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. | $400,000.00 | Retrieval Disposal Technology |
| Stand Out For Environment Restoration Initiative | Nigeria | This project seeks to engage 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 also works to improve livelihoods and create economic opportunities for fishing communities through craft workshops of end-of-life ghost gear. Finally, they have created an integrated ghost gear recovery program 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 also offered support to maintain 2 previously constructed HubNets bringing the total number of end-of-life recovery centres to 6. |
$450,000.00 | Leadership Retrieval |
| T Buck Suzuki Foundation | Vancouver, BC | The T Buck Suzuki Foundation and Archipelago worked 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 will take place, along with work to determine the ecological impacts of lost gear, and to identify viable solutions for future gear loss. |
$535,718.00 | Retrieval |
| The Confederacy of Mainland Mi'Kmaq | Digby, NS | The Keskaqowey Apuktuk Memjewey Mi’kma’ki Project (Ghost Gear in Mi’kma’ki) focusses 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 will focus on fishing waste reduction through a sustainable swap program where Mi’kmaq fishermen can exchange conventional fishing gear for more sustainable alternatives. The Project will also host educational workshops focused on applying for collection permits, fishing waste reduction, and the proper disposal of fishing gear. Finally, the team will perform a waste audit on several fishing vessels to determine the quantity and type of gear being lost by Mi’kmaq fishermen. * The Confederacy of Mainland Mi'Kmaq received a lump sum of $250,000.00 to carry out work in two locations: Digby, NS and Northumberland Strait, NS. |
$250,000.00* | Retrieval Disposal |
| The Confederacy of Mainland Mi'Kmaq | Northumberland Strait, NS | The Keskaqowey Apuktuk Memjewey Mi’kma’ki Project (Ghost Gear in Mi’kma’ki) focusses 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 will focus on fishing waste reduction through a sustainable swap program where Mi’kmaq fishermen can exchange conventional fishing gear for more sustainable alternatives. The Project will also host educational workshops focused on applying for collection permits, fishing waste reduction, and the proper disposal of fishing gear. Finally, the team will perform a waste audit on several fishing vessels to determine the quantity and type of gear being lost by Mi’kmaq fishermen. * The Confederacy of Mainland Mi'Kmaq received a lump sum of $250,000.00 to carry out work in two locations: Digby, NS and Northumberland Strait, NS. |
$250,000.00* | Retrieval Disposal |
| The Ocean Legacy Foundation | Powell River, 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. In 2020, 33 ALDFG trips were made, diverting 85 tonnes of waste from landfill. Phase II of this project will support the creation of three additional pilot depots and will build capacity at Ocean Legacy's first two ocean plastic depot centres. This phase will also involve establishing an industrial-scaled hub for ALDFG material collection, processing and resource distribution with the Steveston Harbour Authority and to develop localized nylon processing capacity within BC. *Ocean Legacy Foundation received a lump sum of $ 1,154,137.50 to carry out work in two locations: Powell River, BC and Tofino, BC. |
$ 1,154,137.50* | Disposal |
| The Ocean Legacy Foundation | 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. In 2020, 33 ALDFG trips were made, diverting 85 tonnes of waste from landfill. Phase II of this project will support the creation of three additional pilot depots and will build capacity at Ocean Legacy's first two ocean plastic depot centres. This phase will also involve establishing an industrial-scaled hub for ALDFG material collection, processing and resource distribution with the Steveston Harbour Authority and to develop localized nylon processing capacity within BC. *Ocean Legacy Foundation received a lump sum of $ 1,154,137.50 to carry out work in two locations: Powell River, BC and Tofino, BC. |
$ 1,154,137.50* | Disposal |
| Titan Maritime Ltd. | South Shore, NS | This one-year project focuses on the removal of ALDFG in Lobster Fishing Areas 33 & 34. Working with local fish harvesters and utilizing an ROV, retrieval will take place in areas of high concentration of gear. | $204,000.00 | Retrieval Disposal Technology |
| Torngat Joint Fisheries Board (TJFB) | Labrador, NL | The TJFB is focusing on areas of the Labrador Sea where Greenland halibut (turbot)and snow crab fisheries have been conducted for many years. Harvesting stakeholders were interviewed to build an inventory of sites where gear has been lost and the data collected was digitized on marine charts. Ghost gear locations are being investigated by piloting side-scan sonar that is deployed from a 100’ vessel. | $265,000.00 | Retrieval |
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