The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has launched a new public survey for aquaculturists, seeking to determine the reasons for aquaculture gear loss in British Columbia.
The DFO says the country recognizes the threat that ghost gear poses within our waters, and notes that it’s considered to be an issue of national importance.
The anonymous survey has been sent directly to aquaculture stakeholders and is in circulation until next Friday, October 17th. It seeks to gathering information from British Columbians involved in aquaculture to better understand what types of aquaculture gear is commonly lost in this region, how and why it’s lost, and what sorts of measures are currently being taken to avoid the loss of fishing gear.
The survey is part of the DFO Ghost Gear Program’s efforts to better understand the impacts of Ghost Gear on commercial fish stocks and the environment, including socioeconomic effects. It’s also informing their work looking into how end-of-life aquaculture gear in the Pacific region is managed.
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