Ghost Gear Locate & Recovery

Each year, more than eight million metric tons of plastic end up in the world’s oceans. Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), commonly known as ghost gear, is a leading contributor to the marine plastic debris problem, making up 46-70% of all marine debris by weight. Lost fishing gear causes significant environmental, economic and social impacts, including habitat degradation, indiscriminate fishing, entanglements, decreased catches and sea safety hazards.

CSR GeoSurveys Ltd. specializes in providing solutions to locate and recover lost fishing gear in challenging marine environments. Our team has completed ghost gear survey, retrieval, and disposal projects throughout Canada, including the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Bay of Fundy, under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Ghost Gear Fund. Using our experience, local knowledge, geophysical survey methods, and grapnel techniques, CSR has successfully recovered over 200 tons of ghost gear, including 3,022 lobster traps, 433 crab pots, 34,403 kg of rope, and 14,966 kg of netting.