Reinstate Ghost Gear Fund
Petitioners ask the government to reinstate a permanent Ghost Gear Fund to fund retrieval, prevention, recycling, community capacity and annual national reporting. The government responds that DFO funded projects and is developing an Action Plan.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would fund removal and prevention of ghost gear, directly reducing entanglement, habitat damage and navigation hazards, improving ecosystem and fisheries outcomes.
- It would create local jobs, training and contracts for Indigenous, rural and coastal communities as requested, supporting local economies and skills.
- It would standardize national reception, recycling and data systems and require annual reporting, improving coordination, transparency and tracking of progress.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- It would require new, sustained government funding, creating budget trade‑offs against other priorities and ongoing costs.
- Similar measures are already under DFO’s Ghost Gear Program and Action Plan, so a separate fund risks duplication unless clearly coordinated.
- Logistical challenges, limited recycling infrastructure and variable uptake of new gear technologies in remote regions could limit effectiveness without clear implementation plans.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following: Whereas: Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear ("ghost gear") is among the deadliest plastic pollution, causing entanglement and mortality of fish, marine mammals, seabirds and turtles, damaging habitats, and fragmenting into microplastics that enter food webs; Ghost gear hazards navigation and active harvesters, reduces catch efficiency, and imposes avoidable costs on coastal economies; Dedicated funding for retrieval, prevention, repair and recycling has proven effective-reducing bycatch and habitat damage while creating skilled jobs and contracts for Indigenous communities, small businesses, divers, fishers, harbour authorities, recyclers and community organizations, especially in rural and remote regions; Canada previously supported this work through a Ghost Gear Fund that mobilized partners to clear "hot spots," pilot innovations, and build collection and recycling capacity. Therefore, we, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: Reinstate and expand a permanent, multi-year Ghost Gear Fund with streams for: (a) rapid retrieval/response; (b) prevention and innovation, including gear-marking/tracking and whale-safe/ropeless pilots; (c) end-of-life management, repair and recycling; and (d) community capacity and Indigenous Guardian programs. Prioritize rural, remote and Indigenous coastal communities across all regions requiring local procurement, training and employment outcomes. Build a national ghost-gear management system by establishing/strengthening harbour and port reception, sorting and recycling; supporting Canadian circular-economy markets; and standardizing data collection, public hot-spot mapping and transparent reporting. Reduce future gear loss by integrating ghost-gear risk into fisheries management and disaster preparedness; promoting biodegradable escape panels and weak links; and supporting practical, affordable adoption of gear-marking and tracking. Report annually to Parliament on environmental (gear removed, species protected, habitat restored) and socio-economic (jobs, local businesses, training) results, aligning the Fund with Canada's biodiversity, climate and blue-economy goals. As well, continue Summit meetings every 3 to 5 years.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Fisheries Signed by Ernie Klassen The Government of Canada has taken action to address abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG, or ‘ghost gear’), one of the most significant sources of marine plastic litter. To address the growing presence of ALFDG in Canadian waters, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) launched the Ghost Gear Program in 2019. This initiative strengthened the Government of Canada's commitment to reducing marine plastic pollution from fishing activities and advancing national and international efforts to combat ghost fishing. Through this program, Canada has taken concrete actions and established itself as a global leader in addressing this critical issue. A major component of the program has been targeted ghost gear funding, delivered from 2020-2024, allocating $58.4 million to 144 projects. Since 2020, the Ghost Gear Program has supported the removal of over 43,300 units of gear, accounting for more than 2,540 tonnes of ghost fishing gear removed from Canada’s waters as well as over 970 km of rope. DFO’s Ghost Gear Program is currently working towards the development of a Ghost Gear Action Plan, a prevention focused strategy to modernize Canada’s domestic fisheries operations and regulatory regime to effectively address the impacts of ghost gear. The Action Plan is being developed with feedback from partners and stakeholders. Since 2020, information has been gathered from funded Ghost Gear projects, the 1st International Fishing Gear innovation Summit, and public commentary in forums such as the Blue Economy Regulatory Review. In 2024, DFO hosted 17 virtual engagement sessions via Zoom to consult with the public, ghost gear fund recipients, industry representatives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia, and multiple levels of government on next steps for ghost gear management. Additionally, a public gear management survey was conducted in November 2024 to gather broader input and inform future actions. In February 2025, Canada hosted the 2nd International Fishing Gear Innovation Summit, convening over 200 participants from nine countries to share expertise and explore innovative fishing gear solutions aimed at reducing ghost gear and mitigating whale entanglement. The information collected through these initiatives informed the identification of five key areas that will be addressed in the forthcoming Action Plan: Risk Reduction Measures: to prevent the additional contribution of ALDFG in Canadian waters; Ghost Gear Retrieval: to enable harvesters to retrieve gear; Reporting: to improve reporting of lost and retrieved gear; Storage and Disposal: to ensure recycling and proper disposal of end-of-life and ALDFG; and Traceability: for full lifecycle of fishing gear DFO expects to begin external Ghost Gear engagement sessions in December 2025, which will continue until spring 2026. Engagement sessions will target a variety of external partners and stakeholders such as Indigenous groups, the fishing industry, NGOs, and other experts to discuss the five action areas and determine the next steps for combatting ghost gear and its harmful effects. The Action Plan will address several of the issues brought forth in the petition, including: Prevention and innovation, including gear-marking/tracking; Area 1 of the Action Plan, “Risk Reduction Measures” will address innovation and improvements in gear-marking and tracking of gear to address the prevention of ghost gear. This includes the use of innovative tracking technologies, such as satellite buoys. End-of-life management, repair and recycling; Area 4 of the Action Plan, “Storage and Disposal”, will address how retrieved ghost gear is stored once out of the water as well as address responsible disposal of both retrieved ghost gear and end-of-life gear. Program officers with the Ghost Gear Program will be engaging with waste collection and disposal/recycling entities this winter to seek feedback on how to better incorporate local waste facilities into end-of-life gear management. Build a national ghost-gear management system by establishing/strengthening harbour and port reception, sorting and recycling; Areas 2-“Ghost Gear Retrieval” and 4-“Storage and Disposal” of the Action Plan will address how ghost gear is retrieved, stored, and its responsible disposal. Engagement this winter will seek feedback on updating or replacing existing processes and requirements to ensure a streamlined retrieval process is elaborated which will also address the need for in-season retrievals, including the possibility of issuing Ghost Gear Retrieval Licences. Program officers will assess opportunities for regulatory reform to clarify roles, responsibilities, and processes, thereby promoting consistency and accountability in ghost gear management, including requirements for post-retrieval plans for recovered gear. Supporting Canadian circular-economy markets; Enabling a circular economy for the plastics from fishing gear will be addressed through areas 1-“Risk Reduction Measures”, 4-“Storage and Disposal” and 5-“Traceability” of the Action Plan: Risk Reduction Measures: As part of the Risk Reduction Measures, best management practices around ghost gear are being researched, reviewed, and considered for application in Canadian fisheries. This includes the types of plastic materials used in fishing gear, increasing the use of recyclable plastics and reducing materials that require disposal in landfills. Storage and Disposal: The Storage and Disposal action area focuses on developing solutions for the responsible disposal of both retrieved ghost gear and end-of-life fishing gear. This winter’s engagement will include consultations with local waste management facilities to gather feedback on integrating them into end-of-life gear management and to identify and address barriers that may prevent these facilities from accepting fishing gear. Traceability: Through the “Traceability” action area, DFO is exploring mechanisms to identify, track, and document the origin, movement, and final disposition of fishing gear. By monitoring the full lifecycle and composition of gear, DFO aims to enhance transparency, strengthen monitoring and management, and accelerate policies that support a circular economy for plastics used in fishing gear. Standardizing data collection, public hot-spot mapping and transparent reporting; As part of Area 3 “Reporting” of the Action Plan, DFO will continue to require mandatory lost gear reporting in all commercial fisheries and will continue to encourage the use of the online Fishing Gear Reporting System (FGRS) tool, designed by DFO specifically to enable harvesters to report their lost gear. Lost gear reporting enables hotspot mapping, identifies high-risk areas to prioritize retrieval efforts, and guides fishery management operations. Engagement sessions on this action area this winter will focus on what barriers and what factors are currently preventing harvesters from reporting, as well as what improvements need to be made to reporting systems to facilitate and enable reporting. Reduce future gear loss by integrating ghost gear risk into fisheries management and disaster preparedness; promoting biodegradable escape panels and weak links; and supporting practical, affordable adoption of gear-marking and tracking; As part of Action Area 1 “Risk Reduction Measures,” a Canada-specific risk matrix is being developed for various gear types and conditions. In addition, best management practices and associated risk reduction measures, such as the use of biodegradable escape panels, are under development. To support the creation of the risk matrix, best practices, and mitigation measures, DFO has launched research initiatives to examine the impacts of ALDFG on commercial fish stocks, as well as the broader environmental effects of plastic fishing and aquaculture gear. These projects aim to strengthen understanding of ALDFG’s ecological, economic, and social consequences for Canadian fisheries. The findings will directly inform the Ghost Gear Program by providing evidence-based best management practices to reduce ALDFG in Canada. The research has helped identify target priority fishing areas of concern, recommendations for short, medium, and long-term management strategies, highlighted gaps in acceptable and accessible waste management infrastructure, and the analysis of gear interactions with vessels, marine mammals and sensitive habitats. Aligning the Fund with Canada's biodiversity, climate, and blue economy goals; Through the Blue Economy Regulatory Review (BERR) process, theme 5: Sustainable Fishing Gear and Practices, Canada renewed its commitment to sustainable fisheries. Three initiatives in particular were identified for action through the Ghost Gear Program, and these have been integrated into action areas within the Action Plan, ensuring it is in line with Canada’s blue economy goals. Specifically: Initiative 10: Addressing the shortage of disposal and recycling facilities Will be addressed through action area 4-”Storage and Disposal,” which will encourage recycling and proper disposal of end-of-life and ALDFG. Initiative 11: Promoting, piloting, and developing new gear technologies Will be addressed through action area 1-“Risk Reduction Measures,” which will support innovation and improvements in gear-marking and tracking of fishing gear. Initiative 12: Allowing for in-season gear retrievals Will be addressed through action area 2-“Ghost Gear Retrieval,” which will seek to establish a process that allows harvesters to perform opportunistic as well as incidental gear retrievals in-season; and explore how to allow third-party focused in-season retrievals in areas where post-season retrievals are inefficient or unsafe. While the Ghost Gear Action Plan addresses many of the initiatives outlined in the petition, some elements are being advanced by DFO outside the scope of the Plan. For example: 1) Whale-safe/ropeless pilots: • Since 2020, DFO has worked closely with the fishing industry, Indigenous Peoples, and other partners to reduce the risk of fishing gear entanglement with whales. This collaboration included a $20 million investment through the Whalesafe Gear Adoption Fund from 2021 to 2023, supporting 34 projects such as gear trials and providing assistance to Canadian manufacturers to increase the domestic supply of commercially-ready whalesafe gear. Over the past several years, DFO has continued working with harvesters and experts to test and pilot whalesafe gear, including low breaking-strength and on-demand gear, to reduce risks to right whales. Successful industry-led pilots are ongoing, such as in Crab Fishing Area 12, where harvesters are bringing seafood to market using on-demand gear in areas otherwise closed to conventional fishing due to whale detections. Moving forward, DFO will continue collaborating with harvesters, Indigenous partners, whale experts, and gear manufacturers to strike the right balance so that prosperous fishing activity and healthy whale populations coexist in Canadian waters. 2) Community capacity; • While there is currently no dedicated funding identified for capacity building, Canada’s ghost gear funding previously invested nearly $60 million in 144 projects, much of which supported training, hands-on experience, and equipment purchases for communities, including Indigenous groups and small businesses. These investments created a strong foundation of local expertise and infrastructure. Moving forward, Canada’s Ghost Gear Action Plan will build on this existing capacity by implementing measures developed through stakeholder feedback gathered during engagement sessions this winter, ensuring that communities can continue to play a central role in prevention, retrieval, and sustainable gear management. 3) Prioritize rural, remote, and Indigenous coastal communities across all regions requiring local procurement, training, and employment outcomes; • Canada recognizes the vital role that rural, remote, and Indigenous coastal communities play in managing ghost gear and protecting marine ecosystems. Previous ghost gear investments prioritized these communities by supporting local procurement, training, and employment opportunities. This approach helped build skills, create jobs, and strengthen local capacity in regions where these efforts matter most. The upcoming Ghost Gear Action Plan will continue to leverage this foundation, ensuring that measures developed through stakeholder engagement reflect the needs and expertise of these communities and enable them to remain central partners in prevention, retrieval, and sustainable gear management. 4) Continue Summit meetings; • Canada recognizes the importance of continued collaboration and knowledge-sharing to advance solutions for ghost gear and whale-safe fishing practices. DFO has already hosted two successful International Fishing Gear Innovation Summits—in 2020 and February 2025—bringing together experts from nine countries. These events have proven invaluable for exchanging ideas, showcasing innovations, and building partnerships. The upcoming Ghost Gear Action Plan will seek to maintain this momentum, ensuring Canada remains a global leader in sustainable fisheries and gear innovation. 5) Report on environmental (gear removed, species protected, habitat restored) and socio-economic (jobs, local businesses, training) results; • Currently, the Ghost Gear Program reports on efforts and results through Departmental reporting as well as through the Zero Plastic Waste Horizontal Initiative. Reporting will continue through these mechanisms. Additionally, program information and gear removal statistics are available on DFO’s Ghost Gear Website. DFO will continue interim management of ALDFG. These efforts include encouraging ghost gear retrieval operations and the deployment of innovative technologies such as AI-powered data analysis, GPS-enabled buoys, radio-frequency identification tags, and acoustic sensors to enable real-time tracking and recovery. In addition to technological solutions, the program will continue to emphasize education and outreach to fish harvesters on best practices for gear management and reporting. Increasing the use of the FGRS will continue to be a key focus, ensuring timely and accurate reporting of lost gear to facilitate retrieval and reduce environmental impacts. Together, these initiatives aim to minimize harm to marine habitats, protect fish stocks, enhance safety for harvesters, and advance Canada’s commitment to reducing marine plastic pollution and supporting a circular economy for fishing gear. We thank you for your interest in addressing abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear in Canada.