A New Way to Pay for Ghost Gear Removal: Offsetting Habitat Impacts

A Canadian environmental consultancy has come up with a novel proposal for funding the removal of ghost gear - the catch-all term for abandoned nets, lines and pots, which can pose a long-term hazard to marine life.

Ghost gear is a large-scale problem, on the order of 25 million fishing pots and traps lost each year (plus nets and lines). Lost fishing gear is a top constituent of the "Great Garbage Patch" in the Pacific, and its recovery is a focus for some conservation groups - but the process of retrieving it is expensive, like all operations over the side.

GHD, a marine environment consultancy, has come up with what it believes to be a workable private-sector solution for funding ghost gear removal. When a client reached out to their team for ideas on how to potentially offset some fisheries habitat impacts, GHG proposed the idea of improving habitat elsewhere by paying for the removal of ghost gear on the bottom.

To prove out the idea, GHD brought in contractors with experience in ghost gear removal. Regulations for a project like this didn't exist yet, so GHD worked closely with Canadian regulators and other stakeholders to ensure that it met all requirements. After 22 months of planning, regulatory engagement, and operations, they pulled nearly 150 abandoned crab and lobster pots off the bottom, along with kilometers of lost rope. GHD believes that this benefited the health of at least eight species, including lobster.

This story was originally published by The Maritime Executive. Read the full story at The Maritime Executive →