Nearly 700 tonnes of lost fishing gear have been found in the areas hit hardest by Hurricane Fiona, as well as hundreds of kilometers of rope.

The $30 million dollar Hurricane Fiona Ghost Gear Fund was launched by the federal government after the storm ravaged our region in 2022.

It has helped retrieve 22,000 units, 695 tonnes of lost gear and 453 km of rope.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says lost fishing gear is a big cause of plastic pollution and can stay in our waters for hundreds of years causing harm to our marine life and their habitats.

DFO says this year’s Earth Day is a reminder how the government is working hard to protect oceans and sustain marine life.

Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Mike Kelloway says,

“In my community I saw firsthand Hurricane Fiona’s destruction, which was not only on land but in the water. I would like to applaud the work of fund participants who retrieved a tremendous amount of lost fishing gear in Eastern Canada. Their hard work has made a difference in keeping the environment clean and our fisheries prosperous for future generations.”

They are working on an action plan to prevent losing fishing gear in the future.