Canada’s Lost Fishing Gear Reporting System

Ghost Gear—abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear— is a leading cause of marine pollution.

It threatens the health of our ecosystems and results in the loss of valuable gear for harvesters.

Ghost Gear is responsible for 5%-30% decline in harvestable global fish stocks and 10% of marine debris by weight

But Canada has stepped up to become a global leader in the fight against ghost gear and marine pollution.

In 2019, we launched the Ghost Gear Fund – and since then it has helped remove 224 tonnes of ghost gear from our waters, the equivalent weight of 36 elephants

The Fund has also returned 101 units of lost gear back to harvesters, and worked to find ways to prevent gear loss in the future

Now, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is launching a new online Fishing Gear Reporting Tool

Making it easier for commercial harvesters to report lost fishing gear

The reporting system will help DFO to target areas for gear retrieval and find solutions to prevent future gear loss

Together with the Canadian fishing industry and other partners, we are making a difference to our oceans, our marine life and our future.

Learn more about the Ghost Gear Program

Canada.ca/Ghost-Gear