Since 2020 and with funding support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Ghost Gear Fund, the FGCAC has been collaborating with key stakeholders and rights holders to research, design, and pilot a Product Stewardship Program for PVC-coated wire mesh and plastic rope and netting (similar to Nova Scotia’s Used Passenger Tire Recycling Program). Our Product Stewardship Program was designed for the product users first, accounting for accessible collection sites, cost-effective services, and a commitment to continuous improvement. 

With key partnerships and experience from our evolving three-year project (see ‘Past Project’ section), we are focused on supporting hurricane-impacted areas of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Southwestern Newfoundland with collection and recycling services of PVC-coated wire mesh gear and plastic rope and netting.

So far, we have partnered with two commercial recyclers and two start-up recyclers, set-up 25 collection sites across Atlantic Canada and Québec, and have collected, transported and recycled over 3,500 tonnes of end-of-life fishing and aquaculture gear. 

Goal: to secure key partnerships supporting the collection and recycling of 700 tonnes of PVC-coated wire lobster traps, cages, pots, rope, and netting in hurricane-impacted areas of NS, NB, PE, and Southwestern NL

Objectives:

• Grow and educate project partners and stakeholders
• Continue and set up more abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) collection sites
• Coordinate and remove stockpiles and rope, netting, PVC-coated wire traps, pots, and cages
• Transport and recycle 700 tonnes of ALDFG

See our Current Collection Map: