The Federal Government is launching a call for proposals to help clean up abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear, also known as ghost gear.

$15 million will be invested over three years to enhance Canada’s capacity to prevent, locate, retrieve, and safely dispose of ghost gear, which can harm marine mammals, fisheries, and habitats.

Through the Ghost Gear Fund, the government says it has been working with industry and other partners to clean up ghost gear and create new solutions to reduce fishing debris to support sustainable fisheries for rural and coastal communities.

It will build on work which began in 2020, which includes removing 2,563 tons of ghost gear from Canada’s waters, and over 985 km of rope.

All commercial harvesters in Canada are required to report their lost fishing gear to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

The reporting helps the Department and other partners locate and remove lost gear from our waters and, in many cases, return the gear to its rightful owner.