Submission prepared on behalf of Surfrider Foundation on the best ways to address abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear, which are a significant cause of marine plastic pollution and which have serious effects on marine life in oceans and on coastlines around the world.
The submission includes recommendations for the federal government to:
- Prioritize the prevention of abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear as well as mitigation and remediation.
- Ensure the rules allow harvesters to retrieve abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear whenever possible and provide incentives to retrieve and recycle.
- Improve the program for reporting abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear and extend reporting opportunities to others on the water (e.g. Guardians, recreational users).
- Follow the EU’s lead and adopt Extended Producer Responsibility as the preferred approach to preventing, mitigating, and remediating abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear.
- Develop communications that clearly explain the laws, regulations, policies and programs around abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear.