Sea Pact, an association of ten North American seafood companies focused on sustainability, has joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI).
Ghost gear is lost or abandoned fishing equipment and is one of the biggest threats to marine life with at least 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear entering oceans every year.
As a pre-competitive business collaboration, Sea Pact is the first organisation of its kind to join the GGGI.
“Sea Pact is enthused to bring the strength of its unique position in the industry to the GGGI,” said Sea Pact managing director, Rob Johnson.
“We look forward to driving positive change for people, economies and the environment through our expertise in seafood supply chains and commitment to continual improvement.”
Josey Kitson, executive director or World Animal Protection said that they were thrilled to have Sea Pact join the GGGI.
“World Animal Protection created the GGGI in 2015 to tackle the global ghost gear problem. The GGGI’s aims are to improve the health of marine ecosystems, to safeguard human health and livelihoods and to protect marine animals from harm,” she said.
“Sea Pact recognises that the Global Ghost Gear Initiative is growing its reach and is demonstrating that the issue of ghost gear in our oceans can be addressed at scale,” said Hamish Walker, chief operating officer of Seattle Fish Company and chair of the Sea Pact Advisory Council.
