A boat tour operator in central Newfoundland says the FFAW and the province’s fisherman need to come up with a plan to limit the amount of Ghost Gear along the beaches and in the waters off the province.

Graham Wood says while the single use plastic bag is top of mind for many, he describes the amount of plastic surrounding the province as “absolutely incredible.”

He says if you walk any beach, you’ll find plastics washing ashore, saying “it’s everywhere.”

Wood says fish harvesters must do a better job. He says the practice of using non-biodegradable, nylon nets has to stop.

He says on a visit to the L’ance Aux Meadows, he walked the beach in the National Park, and says he picked up about thirty bait bags used by fisherman.

Fisherman Gerard Chidley says lost gear at sea has been a pet peeve of his for a long time being a vessel owner.

He says with a six-man crew on a multi-day trip, on average they will produce two-bags of household garbage a day.

Chidley says they bring that ashore, but says that isn’t the case for everyone. He says if you check with marine centers and off loading sites, only about 20 per cent of fisherman will return with their garbage.

Chidley says there is a lot of waste associated with fishing, using a box of bait as an example. He says the cardboard boxes include plastic straps and plastic lining, and says they use hundreds of boxes in a trip.

On on trip, he says they take 250 boxes of bait. Chidley says the waste amounts to a full, cubic metre fishing tub in a trip. He says that shows how much waste could potentially be discarded at sea.