An operation to recover abandoned or lost fishing gear in the eastern Avalon region saw over 12 tons of gear pulled from the ocean.
Eleven vessels participated in the DFO funded cleanup, dragging up over 12 tons of crab pots, rope, net, and other gear over the nine-day project.
The abandoned gear, known as ghost gear, was retrieved in between Cape St. Francis and Cape Pine. Any salvageable gear will be auctioned off or returned to the original owner.
Bernard Martin, a participant and inshore fisherman, says a lot of the gear is still fishing.
He says they hauled up crab pots with 30 or 40 crab stuck inside. He says getting the gear out of the water is important for the environment.
Martin says a way to prevent this is further development of biodegradable materials for pots.
He says a big problem is microplastics and synthetic material in the marine environment, as these materials only begin to break down after years of being underwater.