Commercial fisheries (sea and freshwater) play an important role in Atlantic Canada’s economy, employing close to 33,000 harvesters, generating $3.2 billion in 2020 and supporting 1,000 rural communities.
Atlantic Canadian and eastern Quebec fisheries need to use large amounts of fishing gear (e.g. rope, lobster traps, crab pots, nets, etc.) to fish safely and successfully. When this gear is no longer safe and/or useful for fishing, due to damage or wear and tear, it becomes what is known as “end-of-life fishing gear”. Not all fish harvesters can easily dispose or recycle their end-of-life fishing gear, as there is no single, consistent, environmentally friendly system in place to recycle or repurpose different kinds of end-of-life fishing gear.
Our East Coast Ghost Gear report recommended further research to find solutions for end-of-life fishing gear. To investigate such solutions, the Fishing Gear Coalition of Atlantic Canada (FGCAC) received primary financial support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada from July 1, 2020 to March 31st, 2022.
To design a management (recycling or repurposing) program model for end-of-life fishing gear that is:
Provides convenient collection sites for end-of-life fishing gear
Develops a long-term, self-sufficient waste management program
Prioritizes environmentally friendly waste management solutions
To understand the challenges, opportunities, and opinions of a management program for end-of-life fishing gear
To seek and involve communities and industries that may have interest and/or influence in end-of-life fishing gear
Work together to create a program model for managing lobster traps and fishing rope, starting in Nova Scotia
The FGCAC Project Team is interested in learning about the issues and opportunities related to end-of-life fishing gear, specifically, fishing rope and lobster traps. We invited fish harvesters to take a short survey to help us understand how to collect, gather, store, reuse, dispose of, and/or recycle these materials.
Reports summarizing the results of a study to understand fishing gear in Atlantic Canada and Quebec: its manufacturing, use in the fishery, and where it ends up when it can no longer be used for fishing.
Engaged all communities, industries, and anyone with an interest and/or influence in end-of-life fishing gear seeking their insights and perspectives, and specific industry input of program design.
Formed an advisory committee with representatives of fishing gear manufacturers and retailers, Indigenous communities, harbour authorities, fish harvesters, waste management, and government to provide information and advice, and help develop an end-of-life fishing gear management program.
Removed 100 tonnes of wire lobster traps and 2 tonnes of fishing rope from commercial and personal properties across Nova Scotia for recycling.
This project is possible thanks to the financial support of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Sustainable Fisheries Solutions and Retrieval Support Contribution Program (SFSRSCP) and Divert NS.
