Groups that clean up lost and abandoned fishing gear concerned about funding

Environmental groups working to retrieve lost and abandoned fishing gear from Nova Scotia's coast fear they could lose their federal funding.

The groups rely on the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Ghost Gear Fund to support their work.

Zora McGinnis, the coastal and marine project co-ordinator for Mahone Bay-based Coastal Action, told CBC Radio's Information Morning Nova Scotia the group has received very little information from DFO about the future of the fund.

She said normally at this time of year an agreement would have already been signed but there has been no indication one way or the other this year.

"All the groups like ours are in limbo waiting to find out if there will be a fund announced, if there will be any work going forward," McGinnis said.

"It's made it very difficult for us to hire for the season or to make any solid plans."

McGinnis said her group operates in three provinces and received $725,000 in funding for their gear-retrieval work last year.

A statement from DFO said the fund has provided over $58 million from 2020-24 to support a total of 144 projects retrieving lost fishing gear through the ghost gear project.

Over 2,124 tonnes of lost gear and 857 kilometres of rope have been recovered and some of it recycled since the inception of the project, the statement said.

DFO did not provide an update on future funding.

Information Morning - Cape Breton7:38The Federal Ghost Gear fund has dried up

We check back with an organization on the mainland about why they won't be able to continue their work to clean up ghost gear and other debris in Cape Breton.

McGinnis told Information Morning Cape Breton ghost gear also has an effect on fishing stocks and on whale entanglements.

With forecasts calling for an above average hurricane season, McGinnis said a loss of funding would also inhibit the group's ability to respond if Nova Scotia gets hit again.

Angela Riley of the group Scotian Shores, which specializes in island cleanup, said the group removed about 68,000 kilograms of debris from Nova Scotia islands last year. She said the work could not continue without funding.

She said the group retrieves about 200 lobster traps every weekend but that number may be affected if funding is not forthcoming.

"We have our fingers, toes and everything else we can find crossed because it is a really important thing," Riley said.