Return of federal ghost gear funds brings hope to some organizations in the Maritimes
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A federal fund to help marine and beach cleanup organizations is coming back but with less money behind it than in years past.
In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans said Ghost Gear Fund The relaunch will cost $15 million over three years. The DFO did not specify the fund’s official opening date or possible changes to application requirements.
Scotian Shores founder Angela Riley said her organization has received money from federal funds in the past and she’s glad it’s coming back.
“I’m excited because for my group, this could mean a lot,” she said. “But at the same time, I think, $15 million for three years, it’s not a lot when you look at the big picture.”
Lost, discarded or discarded fishing gear, or ghost gear, is a major source of plastic and litter in the ocean, and is a particular concern in Atlantic Canada, given its historic fishing zone.
The Ghost Gear Fund was originally launched in 2020 and awarded $58.3 million to 134 recovery projects in Canada and internationally between 2020 and 2024, but DFO did not allocate any funding into 2025.
Nova Scotia shut it down earlier this year marine debris cleanup programSo Riley is relieved that at least the federal program will be there to help organizations like hers try to keep Nova Scotian coastal waters free of trash.
Although it is hard to estimate how much ghost gear is in provincial waters, thousands of lobster traps, bands and ropes are recovered annually in Nova Scotia cleanup projects.
According to Riley, Scotian Shores has been awarded funding twice from the Ghost Gear Fund, first for $75,000 and then for $150,000 in 2022 after Hurricane Fiona.
The Fundy North Fishermen’s Association, based in St. George, NB, also received funding from Ottawa for similar work.
Darlene Norman-Brown, assistant director of the association, said the funding makes a big difference because it means her group can afford recovery trips into more waters.
Without support from the Ghost Gear Fund, he said, they were only able to make 28 trips last year, compared to 137 the last time they received money from the fund, after Fiona.
cost of ocean cleanup
Beach cleanups involve removing trash from the shoreline, while underwater cleanups involve going into the water and even scouring the ocean floor to retrieve ghostly gear.
Norman-Brown said cleaning in water can be very expensive. Fishermen who do this work with the association receive minimal compensation for daily expenses, fuel and crew time, he said, and rising fuel costs mean current payments barely cover their expenses.
Recovery can take 12 to 14 hours a day, Norman-Brown said, and because fishermen use their own boats, if they are damaged during the cleanup, it impacts their livelihood.
Recovered materials are sometimes piled up for disposal and often end up in landfills, although some organizations attempt recycling.
“Responsible disposal” is a pillar of the Ghost Gear Fund, but Riley said the funding can be consumed quickly by recycling efforts.
“That funding could run out very quickly,” he said.
A DFO spokesperson said the department is in the midst of developing a “Ghost Gear Action Plan” that will be finalized in 2027.
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