There are many challenges in recycling ghost gear such as waste management, decontamination of materials, and clear identification of mixed materials. Ghost fishing gear can have lots of different states, depending on if it was collected at a harbour, on a beach, or in the bottom of the ocean. 

Streamlining the process from waste management to recycling ensures we can transform old waste into new products while retaining quality and strength. Innovation in regenerative materials science can pave the way to a Net Zero emissions economy while giving the ocean the opportunity to restore its natural balanced state.

Discovering processes that give new life to ghost fishing gear is a critical step to creating a circular economy.

One of the biggest challenges in recovering lost gear from the ocean is locating it. By doing so, however, we give the opportunity to the marine ecosystem to restore and regenerate itself. This is a step towards protecting biodiversity and restoring their natural habitats.

We have partnered with the Fishing Gear Coalition of Atlantic Canada to locate marine debris, understand its impact on the environment and remove it from priority areas. 

Through the development of new net reporting tools and mapping technologies, the fishing industry, harbour authorities, community organizations, and marine scientists can work together to locate, track and retrieve abandoned, lost, and discarded fishing gear. By working together, we can truly make a difference, support the fishing community, and repurpose old nets into something new by removing them from priority areas.