FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA

NOTICE TO FISHERS

nf.19.254

July 17, 2019

 

DFO-Coast Guard Effort to Retrieve ‘Ghost Gear’ in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) announces that DFO and Coast Guard vessels will be in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on July 18-20, 2019 as part of a coordinated effort to retrieve lost, abandoned or discarded fishing gear, also known as ‘ghost gear’.

Ghost gear is a form of marine pollution that can cause large-scale damage to marine animals and ecosystems and can be fatal to fish and marine animals.

Employees from Coast Guard and DFO’s Conservation and Protection sector will be on the water during daylight hours over three days to remove as much ghost fishing gear from the water as possible in an effort to minimize entanglement risks to marine animals, including the North Atlantic Right Whale.

Fishers are reminded to report any lost fishing gear to DFO as soon as possible.

For more information, please contact DFO at:

DFO.LostandRetrievedGearQuestions_QuestionsEnginsPerdusRecup.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

 

Contact:

For information, contact:
Jackie Kean
Resource Manager
Tel. (709) 772-2045
E-mail: jackie.kean@dfo-mpo.gc.ca