GGGI Newsletter - October 2023
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Photo Credit:Ocean Outcomes
Dear GGGI Members,
Hello and a happy October to you! 2023 seems to be in a hurry to get to the finish line and we hope that you are all well and keeping up with the pace!
Soon the holidays will be upon us, but before that happens we want to make sure to stay connected and tell you about what the GGGI has been up to this past month.
Most recently, we have been doing policy work to combat ghost gear in the Caribbean, including signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that solidifies the partnership between GGGI and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Management (CFRM). The third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3) on plastic pollution is coming up in November in Nairobi, and our team has been developing our vision for the inclusion of ALDFG in the Internationally Legally Binding Agreement (ILBI). We’re also tracking partners and other stakeholders who are doing great work out there in the world, including end-of-life gear grabs, at-sea gear removals, and policy changes to reduce the impact of ALDFG on marine habitats and fish stocks.
Please read on for more details on these subjects and more!
The GGGI community draws strength from the success of its members: if you have news you’d like shared in a future edition of the newsletter, please send it to our GGGI Coordinator, Laura Walker at lwalker@oceanconservancy.org. If you know someone who might like to hear future news from us, ask them to subscribe!
Sincerely,
The GGGI Team
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CFRM and GGGI Sign MoU to Combat "Ghost Gear" in the Carribean
On September 8, 2023, GGGI Associate Director Joel Baziuk attended a webinar on combating ghost gear in the Caribbean, hosted by the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM). Other dignitaries in attendance included Dr. Milton Haughton, Executive Director, CRFM secretariat; Ms. Tricia Lovel, PHD candidate World Maritime University; Dr. La Daana Kanhai, scientist and lecturer, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine; and moderator Ms. Amrikha Singh, Program Manager of Sustainable Development, Caricom secretariat.
Abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) continues to pose a significant threat to the fisheries and aquaculture sector, and it is also a major source of aquatic pollution, threatening aquatic species and environments, as well as food security both in the Caribbean and globally. To address this problem, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Friday, September 8, 2023, as a part of their collaborative efforts to combat the growing negative impacts of ALDFG across the Caribbean. The agreement formalizes the partnership between the CRFM and GGGI which began in 2018.
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UNEP Magazine “Perspectives” Publishes GGGI’s Strategy for Including Ghost Gear in Zero Draft of the ILBI
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), released their most recent issue of Perspectives magazine, which included Ocean Conservancy’s article on our vision for the International Legally Binding Agreement to End Plastic Pollution (ILBI, commonly known as the “Plastics Treaty”), including GGGI’s recommendations on including the management of ALDFG. The zero draft of the ILBI will be presented at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee’s third session (INC-3) in Nairobi, Kenya in November 2023, where we will be on the ground to encourage the inclusion of our recommendations on ALDFG.
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GGGI Small Grant Recipient Emerald Sea Protection Society Releases Video of Ghost Gear Removal in British Columbia
Emerald Sea Protection Society (ESPS), long-time GGGI member, produced a video of their ALDFG removal project from critical habitat in Double Bay, British Columbia, Canada as part of a grant through the GGGI Small Grants Program. ESPS founder and commercial diver Bourton Scott describes this ALDFG removal project and its impact on the local environment.
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GGGI Director Ingrid Giskes Interviewed for PBS NewsHour Story on
Ghost Gear in the Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine is of particular interest to GGGI due to the value of the region in the lobster fishing industry. GGGI has been working in the Gulf of Maine since 2018 and has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the fishers and other stakeholders that are working to reduce ALDFG in the Gulf of Maine.
GGGI Director Ingrid Giskes was interviewed by PBS NewsHour’s Miles O’Brien regarding the danger of ghost gear to the ocean environment. “Marine animals can get entangled in ghost gear. They can ingest it. It can break down. And the reason for that is, is because fishing gear can be incredibly light and float within the water column, where often the marine animals live and play.”
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GGGI Website Redesign - Coming Soon
The GGGI website is in the process of getting a long needed update, which will be completed by the end of calendar year 2023. New features will include a new look and design, a completely new and updated projects page, which can be searched by geographical region, and a new news page to help us stay in touch with our members and partners. Stay tuned!
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Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation Retrieves Five Tons of Lost Fishing Gear in Casco Bay
GGGI Member Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation (GOMLF) divers and staff recently retrieved a mass of rope, net, and some lobster traps roughly weighing 5 tons. It was located near Catfish Rock, just off of Cushing Island in Casco Bay.
Float bags and barrels were used to lift the debris to the service and were towed to the Portland Fish Exchange for removal onto the wharf. GOMLF plans to continue work in the area in the spring of 2024.
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Welcome to our new GGGI members!
The GGGI continues to grow stronger - a warm welcome to new members Gravity Wave from Spain and SeaTown Marine, located in Prince Edward Island, Canada!
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We Want To Hear From You!
We're always looking to promote the various stories and successes of our GGGI Members! If you have something ghost gear related that you would like us to put in our newsletter, please email GGGI Coordinator, Laura Walker at lwalker@oceanconservancy.org.
Thanks so much for your support for the GGGI!
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