by Alana Coulombe, Education programs administrator

You have finally landed the big catch and then snap! The line breaks. Frustrated, you take a moment to think about what could have been, the photos you could have taken. You think nothing of the interaction except that you need a new line and bob. 

This interaction is just one of millions that happen across Canada each year. It exemplifies the reality of many environmental issues: collectively, our actions are having a disastrous impact on our lakes and rivers. These issues have been known for decades, but the full extent of the impacts has only begun to be revealed.

Take the issue of ghost gear. “Ghost gear” describes any fishing gear that has been abandoned, lost or discarded in oceans, lakes, and rivers, including lead tackle, fishing lines, nets, traps, and rope. Independently, this may not seem like a major concern, but cumulatively between 600,000 and 800,000 metric tonnes of ghost gear are estimated to enter the world’s oceans each year (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2023), and approximately 460 tonnes of lead sinkers and jigs are lost each year (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2018). In fact, recent studies suggest ghost fishing gear accounts for up to 70% of all macroplastics in the ocean by weight (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2023)! 

Ghost gear and shoreline garbage enter our oceans directly, or can flow through our rivers, lakes, and tributaries until their final destination in the ocean. This can happen through a variety of means. First, there is snags and entanglement. Fishing gear can get caught on rocks and other underwater obstacles, or become entangled with other fishing gear such that fishers are unable to pull it out of the water. Weather conditions can also expedite pollution. In some situations under severe weather conditions or strong currents, fishing gear must be abandoned or cut loose for safety reasons (Global Ghost Gear Initiative, 2022). Finally, pollution can enter our waterways because of traffic crossing. For example, boats can accidentally run over top of fishing gear, unintentionally breaking it free.

Most fishers are not intentional villains in this story! Intentional discard of fishing gear is comparatively rare as gear is expensive and not in a fisher’s best interest. When it does occur, intentional discard is often associated with illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing, where gear is dumped in the water to hide illegal activities. Intentional discard is also more likely to occur in areas of the world without practical disposal or recycling options for fishers, such that end-of-life fishing gear ends up in the water or piled along shorelines (Global Ghost Gear Initiative, 2022).

That said, ghost gear and shoreline pollution can have devastating large-scale effects on aquatic ecosystems through habitat disturbance and direct harm to the welfare and conservation of wildlife via entanglement and ingestion. Ghost gear can drift on the surface of water, float at varying depths, and sink to the bottom smothering vital habitat and becoming too deep or tangled to remove safely (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2024). Some plastic ghost gear has cumulative long-term effects, persisting for decades before eventually breaking down into microplastics and other chemical pollutants that can easily spread and often end up in the food chain (World Wildlife Fund, 2024). In Canada, this pollution has been found in sensitive wetlands, remote arctic regions, and other fragile habitats as well as drifting along large rivers (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2024). 

In some environments ghost gear is nearly impossible for wildlife to see and avoid, moving unpredictably and drifting in dark areas. Wildlife can ingest garbage that resembles natural food sources, such as Common Loon ingesting lead tackle instead of the intended pebbles (grit) (Grade, et al, 2019). Fish and wildlife can also get caught or entangled in ghost gear and suffer serious injury or die a slow and painful death through suffocation, starvation, or exhaustion (World Wildlife Fund, 2024). As the captured animal starts to decay, it attracts predators or scavengers to feed on it that may also get caught, resulting in a deadly cycle. Even when washed ashore, ghost gear can be ingested by or entangled around birds and other animals (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2024).

Shoreline pollution threatens human safety, health, and livelihoods and poses a navigation hazard. For example, some ghost gear can easily get caught in boat propellers or rudders, while others can damage natural barriers that protect shoreland habitats, putting entire communities at risk. Ghost gear captures an estimated 5-30% of harvestable fish, posing a threat to global food security and economics (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2023). Research also suggests that over 90% of species caught in ghost gear are of commercial value, compromising fishery yields and income by reducing harvests (World Wildlife Fund, 2024).

In a study by McIntyre et al. (2023), a total of 29,298 kg of ghost gear was retrieved in Southwest Nova Scotia, including 24,630 kg covering about 3,986 km of seafloor and 4,668 kg from shorelines. Lobster traps as old as 37 years, represented 68% of the ghost gear collected by weight and continued to catch both target and non-target species (McIntyre et al., 2023). Among the 25 species released, there were 652 lobsters of which 82% were market size, and 57 fish of which 42 were species-at-risk (McIntyre et al., 2023).

More ghost gear is lost every year, contributing to an already significant problem. Since joining the Global Ghost Gear Initiative in 2018, Canada continues to be a world leader in this effort and has developed several innovative programs and initiatives to tackle this issue. In 2020, Canada hosted a Gear Innovation Summit and established the Ghost Gear Fund to address retrieval, responsible disposal, innovative technologies, and international leadership. Local communities and initiatives are also ensuring shoreline pollution does not make it into our larger waterways and oceans, including the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, U of T Trash Team, and Yellow Fish Road Program. 

Sometimes ghost gear and its effects seem invisible, so it is up to us to make them known! As freshwater stewards, we can research and implement fishing gear best management practices to avoid losses, follow proper end-of-life disposal methods, and report lost fishing gear and ghost gear sightings, retrieving it if safe to do so. Did you know Canadian fishers must label their gear and report it if it gets lost? This mandatory reporting helps others find the gear, remove it, and return it to its owner (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2024). Many businesses and waterfront associations participate in the “Let’s Get The Lead Out” Program, conduct microplastic studies and garbage removal events, and host information booths at community and school fairs to raise awareness about the issue.

We can make a difference by staying informed, building awareness, supporting environmental initiatives, reducing plastic use, and participating in shoreline cleanups. With various stewardship-based approaches, we can improve the sustainability of fisheries and ghost gear management to be part of the solution!

 

References

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (2018). Lead sinkers and jigs: executive summary. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/management-toxic-substances/list-canadian-environmental-protection-act/lead/using-more-lead-free-fishing-tackle/lead-sinkers-jigs-executive-summary.html
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (2023). What is ghost gear. Government of Canada. https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/management-gestion/ghostgear-equipementfantome/what-quoi-eng.html
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (2024). Ghost gear: Educational guide and activity book. Government of Canada. https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/management-gestion/ghostgear-equipementfantome/educational-guide-pedagogique-eng.html
Global Ghost Gear Initiative. (2022). Frequently asked questions. https://www.ghostgear.org/faqs
Grade, T., Campbell, P., Cooley, T. et al. (2019). Lead poisoning from ingestion of fishing gear: A review. Ambio 48, 1023–1038. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-019-01179-w
McIntyre, J., Duncan, K., Fulton, L., Smith, A., Goodman, A. J., Brown, C. J., & Walker, T. R. (2023). Environmental and economic impacts of retrieved abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear in Southwest Nova Scotia, Canada. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 192, 115013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115013
Wolfe Lake Association. (2024). Toxins in Your Tackle Box. Wolfe Lake Association Let’s Get The Lead Out Program. https://www.fishleadfree.ca
World Wildlife Fund. (2024). Stopping Ghost Gear. https://www.worldwildlife.org/projects/stopping-ghost-gear