The Canadian government has launched a new online system that makes it easier for commercial harvesters to report their lost fishing gear.
Lost or abandoned gear, also known as ghost gear, can cause serious harm to marine ecosystems. In 2019, the Canadian government launched the Ghost Gear Fund which has so far helped remove 224 tonnes of old gear from Canadian and international waters, the equivalent weight of 36 elephants.
“Canada is a recognised, world-leader in the fight against marine pollution, and Canadian harvesters have been instrumental in our success to date,” said The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
“Not only will the Fishing Gear Reporting System make it easier for harvesters to be part of the solution, it will help them recover their valuable gear. This is good for industry and good for our environment,” she added.
All commercial harvesters in Canada are required to report their lost fishing gear to Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The new Fishing Gear Reporting System allows commercial harvesters to input a description of their lost gear, the cause of loss and its location from any online device, making it easier to retrieve the gear.
The data will also help Fisheries and Oceans Canada to better target areas for ghost gear retrieval activities and find solutions to help prevent loss in the future.
